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Leaders of “Actiunea European” (European Action) Movement (MAE) along with more than 500 MAE members and supporters surrounded the Moldovan Parliament on Thursday, March 19, 2009 to protect the institution against corrupts and corruption. Participants shouted “Get Away Corruption from Parliament!” during the protest. “MAE is the only party which beat the alarm and signalled to all pro-European parties that the generalised corruption is our No.1 enemy at present. By holding this action, we tried today to notify all that the anti-corruption fight shall begin with cleaning off key state institutions, and the Parliament is the most important of them”, said MAE leader Anatol Petrenco. “MAE has worked out a list of clean, innocent candidates to the Parliament who are not suspected of any doubtful affair relating to state or public funds. We think this is the only way to struggle corruption efficiently. This is the only way to block the access of corruption to Parliament,” Petrenco added. The MAE-organised “human chain” lasted half an hour. (Source: MAE press release)

“I had to address about 900 people from Causeni in the dark after the communists have turned off the light by using a special device.” The chairman of “Moldova Noastra” (Our Moldova) Alliance (AMN), Serafim Urechean, delivered this statement at a press conference on Thursday, March 19. In the context, AMN said that a device was installed in the cultural house in Causeni and it turned off the light during a meeting with electors. Thus, “I had to speak in front of about 900 people in the dark,” Serafim Urechean stated. He noted that a similar situation occurred recently in Ghidighici. “I would like to note that Mr. Voronin was there on the same day I have met electors from Causeni, but his light was not turned off and this is suspicious,” Urechean added. (Source: Unimedia)

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) considers that the panic on Moldovan currency market is a consequence of the lack of a national strategy on combating effects of the world economic crisis on our country. According to PSD, lacking a clear and right image of the situation, people have fallen under provocations of different political forces and started buying foreign currency massively and selling lei. The social democrats are sure that uncertainties would have been prevented and people would have been provided with a real country development perspective, if a national anti-crisis plan was adopted and delivered to the Government to implement it and population was informed in this regard. Despite the grave situation in our country for which the Government is to blame for wasting time, PSD considers that there are no reasons for panic. The new Government shall combat the crisis and adopt emergent actions aimed to protect people and productive sector, the social democrats added. (Source: PSD press release)

The Unionist Movement of the Republic of Moldova (MURM) is calling upon all members and supporters to elect the Liberal Party (LP), which is the “unique party closer” to aspirations of the Unionist Movement. “The experiment of almost 18 years of «independence» of Moldova has abundantly proved that this artificial state rightfully called the Republic Ribbentrop-Molotov cannot survive alone as an independent state, is unable to become a prosperous state ever, cannot make Russians pull out their occupation troops and weaponry from its territory and has no chance to join alone the European Union,” reads an appeal by MURM chairman Ilie Bratu. It says that the further existence of Moldova as an independent state is equivalent to “disappearance of the Romanian national being from these areas.” MURM is confident that the only solution is “to regain our Romanian citizenship and join European and Euro-Atlantic organisations, return immediately to the Homeland Romania.” (Source: MURM appeal)

The electoral campaign is generally meeting the legal limits. However, observers assess a series of breaches of a competitive electoral process. This is the conclusion of the 4th monitoring report released by the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections Coalition-2009 on Thursday, March 19. Paul Strutzescu, chairman of the League for the Protection of Human Rights (LADOM), a member of Coalition-2009, said that the activity of the Central Electoral Commission was generally transparent during the monitoring period (during February 25 — March 18). Positive developments include among others media electoral debates. At the same time, LADOM observers signalled assaults on representatives of electoral contestants and police intimidations against a media institution (Albasat TV). Participants in electoral race had often an indecent and unfair behaviour by using a foul vocabulary, violating electoral advertising requirements, making camouflaged electoral propaganda and illegally involving students in electoral actions in schools. As well, LADOM warns that the imperfect system of issuing voter rolls and possibility to vote on the basis of various identity documents provide the possibility of a multiple voting in certain conditions, which means election fraud. (Source: Info-Prim)

The 3rd report by the Independent Journalism Centre (CIJ) and Independent Press Association (API) reveals that the media is generally biased, advantages and disadvantages some electoral contestants. “Unfortunately, the public broadcasters Moldova-1 and Radio Moldova keep advantaging massively the ruling party, while opposition parties enjoy less access to these stations. This fact raises concern, particularly because the public stations have a national coverage and people from rural areas that have access just to these stations receive a biased, unilateral information and sometimes misreports. This could finally have a negative impact on people,” said Nadine Gogu, ad-interim director of CIJ. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Women’s Political Club “50/50” is accusing the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) of “not being initiated in the gender dimension matter,” while claiming that the future governance of Moldova cannot be based on the gender equality principle. PLDM vice-chairman Alexandru Tanase has delivered this statement during recent electoral debates. “If revising electoral lists of political parties, you will observe that experienced political parties in Moldova have another representation of women in their lists than new-born parties have. The explanation is that these parties were not initiated, prepared, informed about gender dimension,” Ecaterina Mardarovici, chairwoman of the organisation, accused. (Source: Omega portal)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) is using illegal methods to fund the electoral campaign for the April 5 parliamentary elections. This conclusion belongs to representatives of the Civic Control — Elections 2009 Coalition, who presented a new election monitoring report on March 19. Coalition director Aleksandr Barbov said that PLDM has ordered on the March 8 holiday the sending of more than 75,000 greetings via the State Enterprise Posta Moldova. It paid 80,000 lei (about 5,600 Euros) in cash, while its financial report submitted to the Central Electoral Commission did not cover this money. This action raises doubts with credibility of these reports, Barbov noted. As well, Civic Control representatives signalled that “Moldova Noastra” Alliance included in the electoral list candidates with criminal records wanted by Interpol. (Source: Moldpres)

As many as 1,399 candidates are running for the 101 seats in the Parliament, according to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). Parties nominated 1,393 candidates. Nine parties nominated by 103 candidates each: 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 of Moldova, Centrist Union of Moldova and “Actiunea Europeana” (European Action) Movement. Another two parties, “Moldova Unita” (United Moldova) Party and Conservative Party, nominated by 101 candidates each, followed by Ecological Party “Alianta Verde” (Green Alliance) — 97 candidates, “Pentru Neam si Tara” (For People and Country) Party and Labour Union “Patria-Rodina” (Homeland) by 53 candidates each, and Republican Party 61 candidates. Taking part in elections are also six independent candidates: Sergiu Banari, Stefan Uritu, Victor Railean, Tatiana Timbalist, Alexandr Lomakin and Valentina Cusnir. CEC data show that 54 runners (53 on party lists and an independent) are members to the acting Parliament and would like to get a new mandate. (Source: Infotag)

The headquarters of the Liberal Party (Pl) located in 87 Bucharest Street in Chisinau was assaulted again by extremist elements early on March 19, with assaulters pulling out flags of Moldova, European Union and PL from walls of the building, inclusively the stand. That was the third assault on PL headquarters in the last months. Liberals condemn these vandalism actions and appealed to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, hoping that police bodies will investigate these illegal actions and will punish the guilty. PL considers that the assaults on headquarters, intimidation of PL members and supporters are part of a series of actions coordinated by communist authorities, who are trying to strain the socio-political situation in the country at all costs, scare people in the context of the April 5 parliamentary elections. PL is calling upon all citizens of Moldova to resist to intimidations and abuses by isolated groups. (Source: PL press release)

Female members of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (PPCD) will focus on supporting families, youths and children in the future Parliament. Monica Babuc, chairwoman of the PPCD Women Organisation, told a press conference on Thursday that PPCD ladies want to be as many as possible in the future Parliament for this purpose. “We have always paid attention to the special role of women in politics. Their presence in central and local administration structures brings more experience, willingness and character, qualities that always belonged to women,” she stressed. Babuc added that PPCD has most of female candidates on its list of candidates — 34. (Source: Deca-Press)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) considers that the statement signed by Voronin in Moscow has an imminent electoral nature and cannot have any legal consequence. Voronin’s presence in the Kremlin along with Smirnov and at the end of electoral campaign is a hopeless gesture of the communist Chisinau leader who wants to preserve the rule at all costs, inclusively with the price of Moldova’s independence and territorial integrity, PLDM noted. The liberal democrats accuse Voronin that by having signed the statement concerned, he “flagrantly violated the Transnistrian settlement principles covered by the set of legislative acts on Transnistrian conflict, which the Parliament adopted unanimously on summer 2005.” “With the purpose to get an electoral support from Moscow, President Voronin does not recognise any longer the illegal Russian military presence in Moldova and accepts Tiraspol as an equal party at negotiations,” PLDM added. (Source: PLDM statement)

The former premier of Belgium, Yves Leterme, will participate in the observation mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at legislative elections in Moldova in early April, a spokesperson for the Belgium Senate has reported. During March 20 — December 30, 2008 Yves Leterme headed the Belgian Government, being prime minister after the three-month political crisis in Belgium, but he was constrained to resign in connection with the scandal around “Fortis case”. Leterme was elected member to the Belgian Senate on December 30, 2008. (Source: Novosti Moldova)

“Centrists from Moldova are incapable and cannot be regarded as a serious political force in this country,” Alexei Makarkin, director of the Russian centre of political technologies, was quoted as saying by Prim-Tass agency. The Russian political researcher considers that though Moscow did not earlier stress its focus on Moldovan president, negotiating the Transnistrian issue with Vladimir Voronin is not an occurrence. “Russia has tried to stake on centrists but Moldovan centrists are incapable in reality and cannot be regarded as a serious political force in this country,” Makarkin stated. He stressed that “Voronin has now to activate his positions on Transnistrian conflict in the context of forthcoming elections, in order to defeat the rightwing opposition at present elections.” According to Makarkin, the Transnistrian settlement is not convenient to the Chisinau opposition nor to Tiraspol leader Igor Smirnov, who “is afraid of the approaching of the Transnistrian region to Moldova because he fears to lose the authority”. (Source: Itar-Tass / Omega portal)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) signals increased efforts by the Party of Communists to discredit real opposition, the party said in a statement. PLDM stresses “media campaigns controlled by governance and conducted from a single electoral centre.” “Newspapers, TV and radio channels, news agencies and news portals affiliated to governing release the same kind of news denigrating the opposition and praising the governing, which coincide word by word,” reads the statement. PLDM regrets that some opposition parties do not see the serious danger posed by these dirty electoral technologies within PCRM and media outlets it controls. “The respective political forces provide communist ideologists with raw material for misinformation through their actions and statements.” PLDM is calling upon opposition parties and leaders to refrain from reciprocal assaults, groundless statements and provocations staged by communists via loyal media outlets. (Source: PLDM statement)

At present, Moldova may be called the state of corrupt functionaries, former premier Dumitru Braghis, chairman of the Social Democratic Party, was quoted as saying by Info-Prim Neo. “This fact is confirmed both by lots of monitoring operated by diverse international organisations, findings of Opinion Barometers and bitter reality in our country, in relation between public functionary and citizen. Cases which ranked the corruption in the top of people’s concerns are multiple and one thing is certain: our state political system itself is corrupt. When the one that must be controlled nominates the one which controls, what separation of powers in a state should one speak about? Building a rigid vertical of authority by eliminating other powers from decision-making process is and gives birth to corruption,” Braghis stated. (Source: Info-Prim)

Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Committee, has addressed a statement to Moldovan president, asking national and local authorities to make every effort to ensure a level and transparent playing field for all candidates during the campaign and avoid the use of administrative resources to hamper political rivals. The senator calls upon Moldovan authorities to make efforts to ensure access to the media for all candidates. Finally, law enforcement bodies must safeguard the public’s basic right to freely and publicly assemble to express their views in a peaceable manner. He noted that holding the current electoral campaign in line with OSCE standards is crucial. “As Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I would underscore the importance that all involved in Moldova’s upcoming parliamentary elections ensure compliance with international norms. This is crucial, not only for the future of democratic reform in Moldova, but also for the country’s further economic development and progress along its chosen path of European integration,” Mr. Cardin added. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent agency of the Federal Government charged with monitoring compliance with the Helsinki Accords and advancing comprehensive security through promotion of human rights, democracy, and economic, environmental and military cooperation in 56 countries. (Source: Interlic)

The independent candidate to the Moldovan Parliament, Sergiu Banari, considers that passenger transport providers from Balti favour the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) exclusively. According to an appeal submitted to the Balti Electoral Constituency Council, Banari affirms that economic agents administrating minibuses and buses do not accept electoral advertising but of PCRM. The runner noted that he has tried to legally display electoral advertising but he was denied because “transporters have signed exclusive contracts with the PCRM.” Banari asked the electoral authority to ensure equal conditions in this regard. Octavian Mahu, a PCRM representative to the Balti Electoral Constituency Council, said that PCRM has signed contracts with transporters but they are not exclusive. Owners of minibuses and buses are free to refuse any advertising because it is a private property, Mahu noted. In its turn, the Balti Electoral Constituency Council said that it cannot oblige owners to accept or refuse electoral advertising in transports. The electoral advertising is prohibited in municipal public transport. (Source: Deca-Press)