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The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) accredited on Tuesday 28 more international observers to monitor the parliamentary elections in Moldova. Ten observers represent the Council of Interparliamentary Assembly of CIS member states, eight observers on behalf of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and another ten on behalf of the Polish Association “Bridges for Democracy”. Organisations willing to monitor the parliamentary elections are welcome to apply for accreditation before March 30. Overall, CEC has accredited 171 national and international observers until now. (Source: Moldpres)

The youth organisation of the Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM) backs a UCM initiative on building a “friendship belt” around Moldova. The chairman of the youth organisation of UCM, Dumitru Molceanu, told a press conference on Tuesday that UCM members have drawn this conclusion after an International Youth Forum held at the UCM initiative last Saturday. He noted that the forum brought together about 350 young people from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, as well as members of youth organisations of political parties such as “Ravnopravie” (Equality) Movement, Popular Republican Party, “Edinaia Gagauzia” (United Gagauzia). Taking part in the forum were also youth representatives from the Transnistrian region. Molceanu said that UCM is going to develop an economic and strategic partnership with the Russian Federation, as Moldova is linked to this country through Orthodox religion, common cultural values, economic and strategic values. (Source: Infotag)

The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) violates the electoral legislation the most, says a monitoring report by the European Academy of Civil Society in Moldova. Organisation chairwoman Renata Verejanu told a press conference on Tuesday that the abusive use of administrative resources for electoral purposes is the gravest violation committed by PCRM. “PCRM uses large and prestigious halls to meet electors but does not pay the rent. The meeting of Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii with Moldova Gaz representatives at the Opera and Ballet Theatre is an example in this regard. PCRM representatives bribe electors and manipulate people via electoral advertising on TV channels, particularly NIT and EuTV, thus disadvantaging other electoral contestants,” Verejanu stated. She noted that other runners have also breached the electoral legislation by opening the electoral campaign long before the official start. (Source: Infotag)

“Transnistria is not expecting anything positive from parliamentary elections in Moldova,” Valerian Tulgara, chairman of the Union of Moldovans from Transnistria (UMT), has stated. “Moldova lacks a real force able to protect the population from Transnistria and propose a fair resolution mechanism for the Transnistrian conflict”, Tulgara stressed. He noted that the Union of Moldovans from Transnistria will support at the April 5 elections the party calling for a “civilised divorce” between Republic of Moldova and Transnistrian Moldovan Republic. The Central Electoral Commission decided in early March that all Moldovan citizens who reside in the secessionist republic of Transnistria will be able to cast their ballots at ten polling stations in rayons of Floresti, Rezina, Dubasari, Anenii Noi, Causeni and Stefan Voda. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM) and Party of Spiritual Development “Moldova Unita” (United Moldova) (PDSMU) has presented wrong income and expense reports operated during electoral campaign, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) found out on Tuesday. Therefore, CEC urged the two parties to present before March 20 complete reports about the funds they have spent on elections until now. Otherwise, CEC will ask the Main State Tax Inspectorate and the Chamber of Auditors to check the records and use of funds by UCM and PDSMU. Overall, CEC has got financial reports by 15 electoral contestants, which spent 17.3 million lei (about 1.2 million Euros) altogether until now. Six runners said that they did not spend any funds on elections so far. Political parties and independent candidates running for the April 5 parliamentary elections will submit next financial reports after two weeks, in accordance with electoral legislation. (Source: Moldpres)

The delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE (OSCE/PA) has remarked the great pluralism of politics in Moldova and expressed optimism that the parliamentary elections will meet OSCE standards for free and fair elections. Greek Parliamentarian Petros Efthymiou, head of the OSCE/PA delegation, has delivered such statements at the end of the two-day visit to Moldova (during March 15–17). Mr. Efthymiou noted that OSCE/PA will deploy 60 parliamentarians from member states to observe the elections in Moldova. Earlier, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has delegated a team of 13 experts and 24 long-term observers to Chisinau and 200 short-term observers will be deployed on the Election Day. Overall, 300 OSCE observers will monitor the elections, and this is a proof of the major interest of OSCE/PA for Moldova elections, Efthymiou added. In Chisinau, the OSCE/PA delegation has met leaders of political parties, head of the Central Electoral Commission, civil society representatives. Mr. Efthymiou noted that he “observed some provocations during electoral campaign such as accusations of pressures or intimidation and inaccurate register of electors.” In this respect, the Greek parliamentarian emphasised that all complaints based on concrete actions will be taken into consideration. The OSCE/PA delegation also included Turksih legislator Canan Kalsin and Polish parliamentarian Pawel Kowal. A first OSCE report on election observation will be released the next day after elections, on April 6. (Source: Moldpres)

The Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) signals worse conditions for parliamentary elections proved both by involvement of state structures and administrative resources against opponents and profanation of electoral advertising. The police illegal seizure of electoral leaflets, intimidation and persecution of volunteers in electoral campaign and open involvement of high-ranking functionaries in electioneering could irremediably compromise the democratic conduct of parliamentary elections this year. As well, there are more and more cases when certain political parties resort to real provocations, deteriorating billboards of rivals, electoral posters, sprinkling paint on panels, etc. In these conditions, the Democratic Party of Moldova is calling upon responsible political parties to join their efforts against such actions. (Source: PDM press release)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) raises concern with plans of President Voronin to sign a so-called “intermediary document” on settlement of the Transnistrian conflict during his March 18-scheduled visit to Moscow. The acceptance by outgoing President Voronin of Moscow’s initiative to negotiate with the separatist leader and representatives of the Russian Federation, eliminating main partners of our country — the EU, U.S. and Ukraine — undermines the international “5+2” negotiation format. PLDM reiterates that a peaceful, lasting and fair solution may be reached only with the participation of the U.S., EU, Ukraine and OSCE in the “5+2” format. President Voronin’s attempt to sign an “intermediary document” in a hurry without consulting political parties and civil society beforehand has a strong electoral purpose, may seriously hit Moldova’s national interests and credibility of serious partner in front of other negotiators.

The National Youth Council of Moldova (CNTM) opened on Monday, March 16 the Civic Education Campaign “VoTare” in universities and colleges from Chisinau municipality. The campaign develops within the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Coalition-2009” and is part of the Civic Education Campaign project implemented by CNTM, Contact Centre and Association for the Promotion of Legal Clinics in Moldova (APCJM). The project aims to enhance comprehension of electoral process by Moldovan citizens and encourage their participation in the parliamentary elections on April 5, 2009. The campaign is nonpartisan and unbiased and aims to provide information regarding the April 5 parliamentary elections and encourage young people to vote. More than 25 trained volunteers will discuss with students to encourage their participation in elections, explain the voting procedure and importance of attending the parliamentary elections, disseminate leaflets, etc. The “VoTare” campaign will be over on March 27, 2009. (Source: Moldpres)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) announces that the process of issuing and checking voter rolls by local public administrations is over. According to a communication released on March 17, 2,549,804 people were included in voter rolls. Most of electors (627,889) are from Chisinau municipality, U.T.A. Gagauzia (106,843) and Balti municipality (105,628). The least people entitled to vote are from Basarabeasca rayon (13,953). Under Election Code, voter rolls shall be issued by mayoralties in two copies for each polling station and shall include all citizens entitled to vote from the area concerned. The lists shall be made available to people not latter than 20 days before the Election Day. Citizens may check voter rolls for the April 5 parliamentary elections during March 16–31. They are free to contest to electoral bureaus of polling stations the non-inclusion or exclusion of their names from voter rolls, as well as other errors relating to personal data or data on other electors not latter than 5 days before the Election Day that means March 31, 2009 inclusively. (Source: CEC communication)

“The newspaper Comunistul has misled people. I am seeking the right to reply in order to belie its reports.” The secretary of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Iurie Ciocan, has delivered this statement to Unimedia. To recall that Comunistul has quoted Iurie Ciocan as saying that some opposition candidates running for the Parliament have spent more funds on elections than they have earned last year. At the same time, Comunistul reported that the CEC secretary has quoted the names of the leader of the Liberal Party, Mihai Ghimpu, the vice-chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Oleg Serebrian, the first vice-chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, Alexandru Tanase etc. In his turn, Iurie Ciocan said that he was asked if he knows that some candidates have spent more than they declared and his answer was positive. “That was my only statement.” In this context, the CEC secretary stressed that some candidates have declared their incomes but invested much more because they can take credits. Therefore, Ciocan has forewarned Comunistul and urged the newspaper to publish “unbiased and right reports.” (Source: Unimedia)

Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin has said in an interview with Novosti-Moldova news agency that Moldova has reached a new development stage. “All are realising today: either continuing positive changes or the country will collapse in several months,” Voronin stressed. “The collapse is underway there where state leadership lacks unity, where governors carry about own ambitions only, when they waste their dynamism on confrontations, behaving themselves like our liberal opponents,” the chief of state, leader of the ruling Party of Communists stated. According to Voronin, it is very important that the governmental team represents a true force at the new development stage of Moldova. “A force which proved its abilities to ensure both stability and continuity of the course of positive changes, capability to protect citizens of our country against global catastrophes,” the chief of state added. Voronin emphasised that confidence, consolidation, unification of all forces, optimism for everybody are key words that guide the team of the chief of state to electors. (Source: Novosti-Moldova)

While meeting electors, the vice-chairman of the Liberal Party (PL), Dorin Chirtoaca, has criticised PLDM leader Vlad Filat for the April 4, 2005 vote and especially for his activity as former head of the Privatisation Department. According to Chirtoaca, the liberals did not make a coalition with the liberal democrats because Filat elected Vladimir Voronin as chief of state for the second mandate. At the same time, Chirtoaca did not deny that his party negotiated with other political forces their accession to PL. When someone from audience said that Filat has regretted the April 4 vote, Chirtoaca replied that Filat “did not apologise” for having headed the Privatisation Department “in the Lucinschi-Diacov government”. Chirtoaca accuses Filat of having signed illegal agreements inclusively with representatives of Transnistria when he was a governmental official. “There was something for which he shall be punished, not apologise… Even in case of a parliamentary coalition with AMN and PLDM we have some questions to the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova” which relate to illegal privatisation. Replying to another remark that “Filat is not communist,” Chirtoaca said “How do you know?” (Source: Moldpres)