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The Independent Press Association (API) is categorically dismissing accusations brought against newspaper Obiectiv that it is allegedly violating the electoral legislation. Last weekend, the Electoral Council of the Chisinau Constituency (CECC) warned the API Association and Coalition-2009 to avoid violation of electoral legislation. The electoral body was notified by the Party of Communists, which claimed that an issue of Obiectiv published in a 70,000-copy circulation with the financial support of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy included “biased electoral advertising articles.” According to a statement, API regrets that CECC members who examined the appeal “guided themselves by own political sympathies rather than by legislation in effect.” “Such a decision lacks a legal ground and API will contest it to CEC and law courts,” reads the statement. Obiectiv is a civic and electoral education publication published in Russian and Romanian. The first issue was published in December 2008 and is disseminated as a supplement to 17 local and regional newspapers. (Source: Monitor Media)

The leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has stated to the INFOTAG news agency that “the current parliamentary elections are like the last elections, as the rules of the game did not change much, and even not at all. For this reason, I think that a single party will dominate all media during the ongoing campaign. Everyone knows its name and I would not like to canvass any party on this occasion. As well, I think that majority of political parties will face problems in 2009, like during the previous campaigns. In particular, I mean obstructed meetings with voters and unfair access of electoral candidates to the media.”

The Christian Democratic People’s Party (PPCD) claims that it has prepared eight projects aimed at attracting about 10 million Euros in Moldova from European funds. According to PPCD, about 30,000 residents of villages will benefit from these funds. PPCD assures that it has promoted seven projects worth 1.41 million Euros overall under European funds in 2008. The party says that it has established a nongovernmental structure called the Institute of Sustained Regional and Administrative Development to promote these projects. As well, Christian Democrats claim that they have got 35 million lei from the state budget for this year to fund another 67 projects in Moldovan villages. PPCD does not keep in secret that these projects cover above all “the localities which voted the heart at the 2007 elections and other mayoralties which accepted to cooperate with our team.” The party calculated that funding to 210 projects worth 72 million lei overall for 146 villages was got in 2007, 2008 and 2009 thanks to its efforts. (according to INFOTAG)

On Monday, February 23, the Ecologic Party of Moldova "Alianta Verde" (Green Alliance) submitted to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) the documents to be registered as electoral candidate. This is the 12th party which decided to join the electoral race for the April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections. Alianta Verde is led by Vladimir Braga, who entered the Parliament in 2005 on the lists of the Moldova Democrata Bloc (BMD). CEC is due to decide on Tuesday, February 24, on registration of independent candidate Sergiu Banari, who applied last week. (Source: Jurnal de Chisinau)

Political parties funded from outside run the risk to be excluded from the electoral campaign for the April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections, Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Secretary Iurie Ciocan has stated. “The Central Electoral Commission, holding the necessary evidence, has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice in order to exclude from the electoral race the electoral candidate which committed such violations,” the CEC secretary added. (Source: Omega Agency)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) signals that the deterioration of the political and electoral climate in Moldova makes premises for falsification of parliamentary elections. State institutions keep getting illegally involved in the political process, violating the right to assembly and the freedom of association. On February 22, the Balti traffic police blocked at the exit of the city 4 coaches expected to carry people from the rayon of Sangerei who should attend the protest meeting “Green Light to Voting Abroad”. Thus, at least 150 people were obstructed to attend the PLDM-held protest in the Great National Assembly Square. PLDM also signalled some cases when electoral billboards were deteriorated in the Chisinau municipality. (source Thenews.md)

The Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) will publish a booklet about voter’s wishes. The party is collecting the wishes within the campaign “Tell What You Deserve!”. PDM has organised a new public action for this purpose. This time, it took place in the Ciocana district of the capital. PDM activists invited passers-by to come closer to their panels and put down their wishes and merits. (source: Deca-Press)

The Actiunea Europeana (European Action) Movement (MAE) introduced on Sunday its electoral programme outside of the capital, in the northern city of Soroca. This locality was not chosen by chance, as the party, which lists include representatives of the National Liberal Party and National Romanian Party is rated pretty well there. Besides the traditional promise to raise salaries and pensions typical to all Moldovan parties in the electoral campaign, the party proposes Moldova’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States. As well, MAE calls for speeding up the European integration process and Moldova’s joining to the NATO. (source: Deca-Press)

The team of the Comrat city mayor, Nicolae Dudoglo, supports the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the electoral campaign for parliamentary elections. This announcement was made at a press conference in Chisinau on Monday, February 23. Anna Harlamenco, chairwoman of the People’s Assembly of the Administrative Territorial Unit Gagauzia, sister of Nicolae Dudoglo, said that the team of the Comrat mayor has decided to support the PSD for its programme. She noted that the PSD programme attracts UTA Gagauzia inclusively for stipulating the direct election of Moldovan President, members of the Parliament and judges, which would allow the region to join national structures.

The Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) has called upon law courts to study a contestation seeking supplementary polling stations for Moldovan nationals working abroad. This appeal comes after the Central Electoral Commission has turned down the AMN’s request to open supplementary polling stations as follows: 5 in Romania, 3 in Italy, 3 in Russia, 3 in Ukraine, 3 in the United States, 1 in Ireland and 2 in Portugal. AMN contested the CEC decision in the Court of Appeal, which is expected to decide on this appeal on Tuesday, February 24, after a CEC representative demanded a pause on Monday to prepare the final pleading.

More than 100 Moldovans from Ireland protested on Sunday, February 22, against repeated refusal of CEC to open a polling station in the Irish capital of Dublin. Participants shouted “We want to vote!”, “We want polling stations!” “Do not obstruct the freedom of expression!” These messages were also shouted in English, so that to inform the public about violation of the right to vote. We recall that the Association of Moldovan Community in Ireland sent appeals on January 30 and February 5, seeking the opening of a polling station in the city of Dublin for the April 5, 2009 Moldovan parliamentary elections, and motivating that they cannot move to the polling station at the London-based Moldovan Embassy. Also on Sunday, a group of Moldovan nationals from the U.S. city of Tampa (Florida) protested and demanded the right to vote. In its turn, CEC assures that resolving the problem of polling stations outside of diplomatic missions of Moldova does not rest with its competence (Source: Unimedia.md)

The 2009 electoral campaign is brain-laundered in a direct and real manner. In other terms, the Moldovan society had its brains well-laundered long before the ongoing electoral campaign for parliamentary elections. In particular, in media, TV meaning. The electoral theory and practice from the last decades and even centuries say that elections are falsified long before the Election Day, inclusively on the media segment. Statistics published on the website of the Electronic Press Association www.apel.md reveal that many TV channels in Moldova live in parallel, virtual worlds in which only some politicians and parties exist and they are exclusively “nice, soft and rosy”. If these TV channels show other politicians or parties, they are darker than black. As well, there are 2–3 TV channels which try to respect elementary rules of presenting politicians in news and programmes, but their potential to join the society inclusively in terms of technical means, territorial coverage is insignificant. In the event the acting governing or governmental coalition wins the future elections, it will gain first of all the “media war” it has started long ago. (Source: analysis by Info-Prim)

Provocative statements by the political opposition are to blame for the depreciation of the leu the last two days. This is the general opinion of bankers interviewed by INFOTAG reporters. The exchange rate of leu versus U.S. dollar and euro was declining at exchanges in February and it was 10.65 lei and 13.5 lei respectively on February 19. But the next day, on Friday, the exchange rate rose up to 10.8 lei and 13.6 lei respectively. According to an official of the leading commercial bank “people stormed exchanges after former prime minister Vasile Tarlev and some analysts confirmed the fears of the opposition in the media and on TV that the exchange rate will fall after the elections.” According to other bankers, there are no real conditions for the depreciation of leu and it will immediately regain its positions. (according to INFOTAG)

The Christian-Evangelistic Church in Moldova invites residents of Moldova to participate in the April 5 elections and elect future legislators. Alexandru Malancea, shepherd of the Christian-Evangelistic Church St.Treime, said that people have the right to elect, but “the God nominates” the chiefs anyway. “We consider that our acting leadership, as well as its successor comes from the God. This is the position of the Bible and residents of Moldova must know it. Generally, Christian-Evangelists represent about 2 percent of population and we are very active.” (according to INFOTAG)