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If the parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, the Party of Communists (PCRM) would win 36.2 percent of the votes, while 26.4 percent of the electors would be undecided whom to vote. These are the findings of the Barometer of Public Opinion (BPO) released on Tuesday, March 24, with less than two weeks before the April 5 elections. According to the survey, the respondents who opt for the PCRM are mainly elderly, women, and people of Ukrainian or Russian nationality with a low educational background. The PCRM rating is by 10 percent lower than before the 2005 parliamentary elections, but higher than revealed by the lastt BPO released in October 2008, when 23.5 percent of the respondents said that they would elect this party. The PCRM was rated the best in March 2002 (50 percent) and the worst in November 2006 and May 2007 (23 percent). The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) would garner 8.3 percent of the votes, if the parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, compared with 4.5 percent in October 2008. Other parties to enter the Parliament would be the Liberal Party (PL) — 8.2 percent (compared with 5.1 percent in October) and “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN) — 5.4 percent (5.5 percent). Other parties would not cross the 6-percent electoral threshold; in particular, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) would garner 2.6 percent, Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM) — 2.5 percent, Christian Democratic People’s Party (PPCD) — 1.4 percent, Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) — 0.7 percent. Further, 23 percent of the respondents are undecided, 3.4 percent did not want to answer this question and 6.8 percent would not vote. Vladimir Voronin, PCRM leader and President of Moldova, continues to enjoy most confidence of people, being indicated by 48.4 percent of the respondents, and his rating has increased compared with October 2008 (41 percent). Following Voronin is Premier Zinaida Greceanii, electoral candidate on behalf of PCRM — 42.8 percent (32.3 percent), Speaker Marian Lupu, PCRM candidate, 35.5 percent, Chisinau Mayor-General who was relieved from office during campaign, PL deputy chairman Dorin Chirtoaca — 31.5 percent (34.6 percent), etc. About 59 percent of the respondents (compared with 52 percent in October 2008) consider that Moldova is not ruled by willingness of people. Forty-three percent (compared with 40 percent) said that elections in Moldova are not free and fair. State institutions keep being rated little confidence by people. The church enjoys most of confidence, being rated by 81.7 percent of the respondents, the media was rated 58.6 percent, and the local administration got 46.5 percent. The least confidence went to political parties (16.4 percent), trade unions (23.3 percent) and NGOs (27.8 percent). Data for BPO were collected during February 28 — March 14 on a sample of 1,197 people from 88 localities representing the adult population of Moldova (except for the Transnistrian region). The maximum error margin is 2.8 percent. The poll was commissioned by the Institute for Public Policy and conducted by the Centre for Analysis and Sociological, Political and Marketing Research CBS-AXA. (Source: Info-Prim)

The findings of the Barometer of Public Opinion released on Tuesday, March 24 were ordered by certain political forces, says the leader of the Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM), Vasile Tarlev. “I am very sceptical with such forecasts. I think that drawing such categorical conclusions about options of electors nationwide and results of one or another party including the Centrist Union of Moldova at elections by interviewing only 1,000 people is impossible,” Tarlev stated. He noted than he meets “hundreds and thousands of electors” every day and this fact assures him that the UCM “will enjoy better results than those revealed by the Barometer.” (Source: UCM press release)

The “Actiunea Europeana” Movement (MAE) says that the recent Barometer of Public Opinion released by IPP is “the No.1 misinformation in electoral campaign”. The MAE wonders that the poll would have been worked out “in the office of a party.” It has plans to sue the guilty the next day after results of elections, “in order to prevent such misinformation,” and will seek damages for “having deteriorated the MAE image”. The MAE says that according to its surveys, it is rated “between 7 and 10 percent”. It disapproves the use of polls as a tool to manipulate people before elections. (Source: MAE press release)

The leader of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN), Serafim Urechean, considers that the Barometer of Public Opinion (BOP) commissioned and released by the Institute for Public Policy (IPP) “is a clown show.” This way, Urechean replied to BPO findings, which say that the AMN would win 5.4 percent of the votes, if the parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, so that the party would be at the limit of the electoral threshold. Urechean does not believe the IPP poll inclusively because it indicates a 23-percent share of the undecided electorate, while AMN data would reveal 50 percent. As well, he noted that the AMN along with other parties could boycott the exit poll that the IPP intends to organise on the Election Day. (Source: Deca-Press)

The estimated results of the April 5 parliamentary elections will be known shortly before the closing of polling stations due to an exit-poll which five organisations will conduct. Members of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) gave green light on Tuesday, March 24 to an application on conducting an exit poll. CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan said that the exit poll will be conducted by the Institute for Public Policy, Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, European Institute for Political Research of Moldova, Centre of Sociological and Marketing Research CBS AXA and Institute of Marketing and Sociology IMAS-Chisinau. In order to conduct the poll, CEC will provide these organisations with the list of identification data of electoral constituencies. As well, CEC has accredited 332 citizens of Moldova as observers to participate in collecting data for the poll. Under electoral legislation, the results of surveys such as exit polls shall be released after the closing of all polling stations at 09:00 p.m. Surveyors shall not insist on responses of electors and voters shall feel free to answer the questions. (Source: Moldpres)

Gagauz authorities are concerned with specifics of electoral mechanism of the forthcoming electoral elections. This was the topic of a news conference held by Bashkan Mihail Formuzal on Tuesday. The governor noted that “the concern is linked to the number of 128,000 voters established by the Ministry of Information Development and Central Electoral Commission for Gagauzia.” Formuzal did not rule out that “the voting on the basis of this indicator could emerge into sabotaging of elections or falsification of results.” According to his data, there are 50,000–60,000 electors in the Gagauz autonomy, compared with 94,000 people included in the voter rolls. “The ministerial voter rolls include some persons who changed their citizenship for more than five years and will not be able to vote or people who have died. The ministerial electronic database is being studied in the territory and findings reveal that the number of voters in the autonomy could be much lower,” the Bashkan added. (Source: Infotag)

Moldovan citizens who reside the Transnistrian region are discriminated in terms of electoral right compared with citizens from other regions of the country, reads the first report on monitoring electoral process in the Transnistrian region for the 2009 parliamentary elections. The report released on Tuesday, March 24 was worked out by the Promo-LEX Association, member of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections Coalition-2009. The monitoring of the electoral process in the Transnistrian region conducted between February 10 — March 18, 2009 is the first one in history of Moldovan elections. Pavel Postica, coordinator of the monitoring project, said that a slow but permanent rise of the number of people willing to cast their ballots was observed after the first parliamentary elections held in 1994. On March 3, 2009, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) said that 500 polling stations will be opened in the region. Further, because of disagreements between Tiraspol authorities and constitutional bodies of Moldova, CEC decided on March 10 that electors from the eastern region will be able to cast their ballots at ten polling stations on the right bank of the Dniester. Observers signalled the impossibility to issue voter rolls, as the local public administration from the secessionist region is not under the jurisdiction of constitutional authorities. Experts noted that authorities did not consider the possible change of residence inside of the region. According to data provided to Promo-LEX by the Ministry of Information Development, there are 223,580 Moldovan citizens entitled to vote in the Transnistrian region. Respectively, more than 22,000 electors shall cast their ballots at a polling station among the 10 opened for citizens from this region in the territory controlled by Moldovan authorities. The electoral legislation says that maximum 3,000 persons shall vote at a polling station. The report reveals that the media from the eastern region has indirectly covered the 2009 parliamentary elections and most of reports had a negative nature and called against participation in the voting. (Source: Info-Prim)

By delivering such statements, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) proves disdain for the fate of people from the left bank of the Dniester, says a leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, (PDM), Oazu Nantoi. PDM made public on Tuesday its position regarding the PSD initiative on settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, which calls for the concession of the Transnistrian region to the Russian Federation for a 30-year term. “Initiatives by so-called PSD leaders are anti-constitutional and anti-state and prove disdain for citizens from the left bank of the Dniester,” Nantoi told a press conference on Tuesday, March 24. He noted that the Central Electoral Commission “should eliminate the PSD from the list of candidates to the April 5 Moldovan legislative elections.” (Source: Omega portal)

With less than two weeks before the elections, the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) gives up electoral leaflets and will redirect funds to improve living conditions for Chisinau residents. PDM member Chiril Lucinschi told a press conference on Tuesday, March 24 that the population is waiting for concrete actions, not promises and electoral leaflets and, therefore, the Chisinau municipal PD staff has decided to install benches in courtyards and arrange public places from the electoral fund of the party, as this is a real aid for residents of the city. Lucinschi noted that by doing so, the PDM wants to show to electoral competitors the priority of the ongoing electoral campaign — really caring about people. (Source: www.jurnal.md)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) approved on Tuesday, March 24 the necessary circulation of ballot papers for 13 electoral constituencies, including polling stations outside the country that means more than 887,000 ballot papers. CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan said that about 736,000 out of more than 887,000 ballot papers will be published in the official language and another 151,000 in Russian. Necessary number of ballot papers for polling stations for Chisinau municipality is being finalised, Ciocan stated. He noted that the circulation of ballot papers may be modified not later than a week before elections. Also on Tuesday, CEC accredited 1,358 national and international observers. Most of them (1,314) represent the League for Protection of Human Rights in Moldova. Other observers were nominated by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, CIS Interparliamentary Assembly Council, Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, Moldovan Representation of Eurasia Foundation, etc. (Source: Moldpres)

The media watchdog (CCA) has applied the same sanction on some Chisinau-based TV stations, though majority of members agreed that violations committed by broadcasters do not have the same gravity. During February 13 — March 10, CCA monitored the way Moldova-1, NIT, N4, TVC 21, Eu TV, Pro TV and TV 7 covered the electoral campaign in news programmes and warned these stations on Tuesday, March 24 in connection with shortcomings in ensuring socio-political pluralism. The warning is the softest sanction among the five the CCA can apply. CCA members voted the same penalty for both TV station NIT, which refused the right to reply to an electoral contestant, and Eu TV which meet the application of the party, as well as Pro TV, TV7 or TVC21 for less serious breaches. “I am sorry that NIT does not know that there is a regulation,” said CCA member Ludmila Vasilache, meaning the CEC Regulation on coverage of electoral campaign. “All monitored broadcasters breach the legislation but it is worth noting that media outlets become more pluralistic every campaign,” said another CCA member, Corneliu Mihalache. (Source: Info-Prim)

Starting Wednesday, March 25, 11:00, the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN) will picket “Teleradio-Moldova” Company, as according to AMN, it was turned into a communist rather than public broadcaster. “It is to blame first of all for distorting public opinion, being a key «brain laundering» tool used by Voronin clan in electoral campaign on public funds, our money, of all of us,” reads a press release by AMN. (Source: AMN press release)

Gravity of corruption, which has developed during the communist governing, cannot be underrated, Info-Prim Neo quoted Vlad Filat, chairman of Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), as saying. “In eight years of rule the communists have introduced a quasi-total control on business. The top leadership of the country controls big business directly, while the small and medium business is at the «discretion» of state functionaries and police and security bodies. Starting 2001, the communist governing has built a strong mechanism to corrupt and blackmail businesspersons. Indirect corruption, favouritism and nepotism have become principles of state functionaries in Moldova. Consequently, we rank a leading place in Europe regarding corruption coefficient,” Filat stated. (Source: Info-Prim)