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The governor of the Gagauz autonomy, Mihail Formuzal, has raised interest with activity of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections Coalition-2009, attending a sitting of the coalition council on March 10, 2009. Governor Formuzal’s interest was linked to comparing election monitoring at national and regional level. The governor said that he has invited public functionaries from Gagauzia to strictly respect legal norms on organisation of elections and equal chances for electoral contestants. Some of over 200 civic organisations from the region participate in election observation, reporting facts about electoral campaigns of candidates. Formuzal noted that he is ambitious to do his best for an exemplary electoral process in the region, so that to make Gagauzia a noteworthy example for central authorities as well. The coalition council and Governor Formuzal agreed that the number of appeals is an indicator of a fair electoral process. No appeals on contestants’ campaigns were recorded in the Gagauz autonomy so far.

The media makes political partisanship in electoral campaign. This is the key finding of a report on media monitoring in electoral campaign worked out by the Independent Journalism Centre and Independent Press Association as part of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections Coalition-2009. Twenty-four media outlets which aired or published about 5,000 relevant articles on the 2009 elections have been monitored (during February 19 — March 4). According to the report, the media covers the electoral campaign from distinct positions. On the one hand, some stations advantages the ruling party directly and indirectly and criticise the opposition. On the other hand, some media outlets appreciate one or more opposition candidates but criticise the PCRM. It was found that media outlets funded partially or fully from state budget clearly advantage the PCRM. Public broadcasters Moldova-1 and Radio Moldova, as well as private stations NIT and Antena C advantage the ruling party directly and indirectly and disadvantage the opposition. On the other hand, PRO TV, TV 7 and Vocea Basarabiei are trying to keep an unbiased but gradated coverage of developments and not to omit the activity of opposition parties. Newspapers, news agencies and news websites covered the electoral campaign from different editorial positions. In particular, Moldova Suverana, Nezavisimaia Moldova, Flux, Komsomolskaia Pravda, Moldpres agency and website omg.md advantaged the ruling party directly. Newspapers Timpul de Dimineata, Jurnal de Chisinau, Moldavskie Vedomosti, Cuvantul, partly Saptamana, Infotag agency and news portal UNIMEDIA criticised the PCRM without clearly advantaging any electoral candidate. (Source: Unimedia)

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) presented Wednesday, March 11 an anti-crisis action programme aimed to minimise effects of the world financial crisis on Moldovan economy. “The anti-crisis programme is the utmost part of the PSD electoral offer” secretary-general Eduard Musuc has told a press conference. The anti-crisis programme of PSD calls for a decisive state intervention in economy. At a first stage — emergent actions to remedy crisis — the Government would directly fund key pillars of economy. At the second stage called strong economy, the Government would massively invest in infrastructure and economy of country such as free Internet connection for all people via the national telephony operator Moldtelecom SA. Musuc blamed the acting Government, which would have refused the anti-crisis plan of PSD last November. (Source: Info-Prim)

Young members of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) have organised a flash mob called “Wake up Moldova!” Dozens of young people laid down on banquettes in the Alley of Classicists close to the monument of Stefan the Great and put red pillows under their heads. Another young group carrying PLDM symbols and slogans “Your ballot”, “Wake up Moldova!” and “Green light to vote” woke up those sleeping and walked together to the Presidency headquarters, continuing there the campaign “Count-down of communist governing” and telling the chief of state how many days are left for the communist rule. The action aimed to raise people’s awareness over importance of participation of every citizen in the April 5 parliamentary elections. The message of liberal democrat youths was that every ballot cast at parliamentary elections counts very much for country’s destiny. (Source: PLDM communication)

Stefan Uratu, independent candidate in parliamentary elections, threatens to sue the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) should it refuse to register his electoral symbol for the April 5 parliamentary elections. Uratu, who suspended his chairmanship in the Helsinki-Moldova Committee for Human Rights, told a press conference that CEC has postponed the registration of his symbol for the second time on March 10, deliberating on correctness to place the name of Helsinki city on candidate’s symbol. CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan said that the name of the Finnish capital, Helsinki, must not be used in an electoral symbol, being the name of a city and an international institution. According to Uratu, CEC has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice if there are entities with rights to the symbol carrying the name of “Helsinki”. (Source: Jurnal de Chisinau)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has the right to undergo the disqualification of electoral contestants who use illegal funds in electoral campaign. “We have observed that income declarations by some electoral candidates indicate an amount while their transfers to party budgets are several fold larger than their incomes for last year,” said CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan, analysing incomes and expenses reports submitted by electoral candidates to CEC. “We are working out the CEC position on this issue and it will be shortly announced,” Ciocan stressed. At the same time, the CEC secretary noted that the electoral legislation stipulates express the consequences of using undeclared funds in electoral campaign or foreign funding to candidates. “Contestants using such sources run the risk to be excluded from electoral campaign under a decision by the Supreme Court of Justice,” Ciocan added. (Source: Omega portal)

The order of participation in electoral debates which opened on TV-7 channel on Wednesday was drawn. TV-7 director Anatol Golea, moderator of debates, is optimistic that “debates will be interesting and will provide best information to electors.” “We are organising debates for the first time and we hope that they will help electors to make a consciousness choice,” the TV-7 director underlined. He emphasised that debates will be organised three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, until the end of electoral campaign. TV-7 has plans to produce two programmes of 45 minutes per day. In the event a participant will not show up at debates, the airtime will be reduced by 30 percent and it will be increased if more than 3 candidates will take part in talks. (Source: www.tv7.md)

Only five out of 28 parties formally registered with the Ministry of Justice do not participate in the current parliamentary elections at all. They are: New National Moldovan Party (led by Ion Turcanu), European Party (led by Viorel Ghimpu), Professionals’ Movement “Speranta-Nadejda” (Hope) (led by Vladimir Florea), social-political “Forta Noua” (New Force) Movement (led by Valeriu Plesca) and Socialist Party (led by Victor Morev). Another 15 parties take part in elections directly: Social Democratic Party, Liberal Party, “Moldova Noastra” (Our Moldova) Alliance, Christian Democratic People’s Party, Party of Communists, Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, Democratic Party, Centrist Union of Moldova, “Actiunea Europeana” (European Action) Movement, “Moldova Unita” (United Moldova) Party, Conservative Party, Ecological Party “Alianta Verde” (Green Alliance), “Pentru Neam si Tara” (For Nation and Country) Party, Labour Union “Patria-Rodina” (Motherland), and Republican Party. The remaining eight parties support other political forces at elections: Party of Socialists “Patria Rodina” (Homeland) and Agrarian Party support the Party of Communists at elections; National Liberal Party and National Romanian Party support the Actiunea Europeana Movement; Popular Republican Party, social-political “Ravnopravie” Movement, Humanist Party and Party of Law and Justice support the Centrist Union of Moldova. (Source: Infotag)

The risk that international organisations will invalidate the elections is pretty low, the Free Europe radio station has quoted Arcadie Barbarosie, director of the Chisinau-based Institute for Public Policy (IPP). Barbarosie’s statements come in the context of multiple breaches committed by some candidates in the electoral campaign for the April 5 parliamentary elections. Barbarosie stated that the use of administrative resources by some parties and the ruling party cannot be compared. “I mean the transport, logistics, meetings with people organised for president, prime minister or speaker who were not relieved from offices. Meetings which are nothing but meetings with electors and are part of the electoral campaign for sure,” the expert added.

Four political parties, Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN), Republican Party (PR) and Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), have joined the National Anti-Corruption Pact released by the Actiunea Europeana Movement (MAE). The pact will be applied in the first six months of next governing, MAE chairman Anatol Petrencu has told a press conference. “We consider that this is a step forward and we are optimistic that MAE will succeed soon to build a democratic pole against state theft and Mafia.” He noted that the signing of the pact is open. The MAE call did not envisage four parties: the Party of Communists, the Christian Democratic People’s Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Centrist Union of Moldova. MAE noted that it will not make any ruling coalition lacking a coherent anti-corruption plan. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) has taken notice of the Anti-Corruption Pact proposed to democratic political forces from Moldova. PLDM shares the concern of authors with gravity of corruption which developed during the communist ruling and seriously deteriorated the social-economic and political situation in country. The Liberal Democratic Party assumes responsibility for promoting ideas of this document. PLDM welcomes the initiative of pact developers and regards it as an expression of political willingness of democratic parties to remedy negative consequences of a governing which destroyed the state based on the rule of law and built a Mafia-ruled economy. (Source: PLDM communication)