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The Election Observation Mission OSCE/ODIHR does not monitor the April 5 parliamentary elections outside Moldova. The head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observance Mission, Nikolai Vulcianov, has delivered a statement in this regard to Infotag. “We cover just the area under the administrative authority of the Central Electoral Commission. There would be difficulties to get visas for some countries which host Moldovan diplomatic missions if we monitored elections outside Moldova as well,” he stated. Earlier, a political party has appealed to the OSCE to monitor the April 5 elections at polling stations which will open at Moldovan diplomatic missions abroad. (Source: Infotag)

Three opposition political parties, “Moldova Noastra” (Our Moldova) Alliance (AMN), Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) and Liberal Party (PL), which are credited with real chances to enter the Parliament, according to the latest Barometer of Public Opinion commissioned by IPP, have plans to make a post-electoral coalition. These parties released Wednesday statements bearing a single call — building a pole of democratic parties. The first proposal came from the AMN, which said that building a pole of democratic parties which “will defeat the pole around the corrupt clan of the incumbent communist governing,” is necessary. The AMN supports the idea of a joint commitment on building a democratic ruling coalition which would be announced before the Election Day, in order to enhance the determination of electors and confidence of international community. In reply, the PLDM said that “strengthening democratic forces and coordinating all their actions is becoming imperiously necessary.” The PLDM welcomes the readiness of AMN to contribute to unification of opposition’s efforts. “We are confident that the PLDM, AMN and PL will promptly meet expectations of the electorate to dismantle the communist regime forever and give birth to an efficient democratic governing,” reads the PLDM statement. The PL statement says that this party is aware that a ruling coalition made of parties which will enter the Parliament, except for the PCRM will be needed after the April 5 elections. “The PL will do its best to build a democratic coalition based on principles of a competent, honest governing in the public interest.” “The PL is confident that by administrating the state budget well, the future governing will both pay wages and pensions in the due time and raise them to cover at least the minimum consumer basket, aiming at combating poverty accordingly to our electoral programme. As well, internal political stability, peaceful evolution in settling the Transnistrian conflict, cogent application of European values and standards capable to accelerate the accession process to the European Union, building plentiful relations with neighbouring countries Romania and Ukraine, as well as with the Russian Federation will be ensured,” reads the PL statement. (Source: statements by AMN, PLDM and PL)

The “Actiunea Europeana” (European Action) Movement (MAE) is ready to build a post-electoral coalition along with other democratic parties, shall their ruling programmes stipulate clear anti-corruption actions. We think that the PL initiative to build a coalition of democratic parties is the only chance to eliminate the PCRM from governing definitively, as this party has impoverished Moldova, says a press release by MAE. “The future governing is obliged to combat this scourge, as Moldova has become the most corrupt country in Europe under the red governing.” The MAE recalls a number of actions to be taken: confiscation of estates of those who illegally enriched themselves on state’s shoulders; freedom for magistrates; investigation of fraudulent privatisations, recovery of the lost state funds; bitter punishments for corruption-related actions; obligation of dignitaries to report their assets. (Source: MAE press release)

The MRC Foundation (Romania) with the support of the German Marshall Fund — Black Sea Trust has opened the online application Test Your Vote! at www.testvot.eu. Undecided electors from Moldova are helped in connection with the April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections. Test Your Vote! includes a 24-question application. All visitors to www.testvot.eu are welcome to answer the questionnaire, agreeing or disagreeing with the 24 assessments. Finally, the applicant will receive a free and in-depth graphical and textual analysis indicating the proximity of the 9 key parties (in alphabetic order: AMN, MAE, PCRM, PDM, PL, PLDM, PPCD, PSD and UCM) to options of electors. The project is available both in Romanian and Russian, providing electors with opportunity to think about important problems of society and find more information about these subjects and parties’s attitudes. The project is a means to learn more about candidates and it does not try to influence the vote of people. It helps electors find the closest parties to their vision in programmatic terms regarding economic, political and social issues. This way, electors will be able to easier learn information about electoral programmes of parties, so that to make a well-informed vote. The Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT has provided information assistance to developers of this project. (Source: MRC press release)

The Romano-Catholic Episcopacy in Moldova is inviting Catholics to take part in the parliamentary elections on April 5. In this regard, Bishop Anton Cosa has signed a circular which calls upon Catholic priests to spread civic activism of parishioners. The circular says that any participation of the Church in electoral campaign, any political adhesion in favour of any electoral candidate will be avoided. Bishop Anton Cosa invites Catholics to study electoral platforms and seriously consider plans of electoral contestants. (Sources: Deca-Press)

The “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN) accuses IPNA “Teleradio-Moldova” of covering more the Party of Communists (PCRM) in its news programmes than other electoral contestants. The party picketed Wednesday, March 25 the public broadcasting institution and asked the Board of Observers to convene within 24 hours in order to redress the situation. The AMN demands the Board of Observers to revise the editorial policy of “Teleradio-Moldova”, to make a fair inventory of the airtime given to PCRM in news programmes and exclude the airtime from pay-for advertising for this electoral candidate before the end of the electoral campaign, so that to partly restore equal rights of other runners. Protestors shouted “Do Not Lie People on TV, Down With Communists” and carried slogans “Moldova-1 = Brain-Laundering Machine”, “Todercan Launders Brains of People” and “Moldova-1 Is at Communists’ Beck and Call”. “Teleradio-Moldova” chairman Valentin Todercan replied that “many lies are told during electoral campaign” but the statute of this institution bans comments on actions by political parties, so that all comments will be made after the electoral campaign. At the same time, he said that everybody is free to tell opinions about one or another thing. (Source: Info-Prim)

“The Democratic Party (PDM) is not troubled with the solution itself, but with the fact that the social democrats were the first to raise it,” Iurie Bolboceanu, chairman of the National Council of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), told a press conference on Wednesday, March 25. He noted that the PDM has asked the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to withdraw the PSD from electoral race after the latter has introduced its Transnistrian settlement initiative. “As a matter of course, other political parties have assaulted the PSD after we have tabled our conflict resolution plan. I was not surprised at all that the PDM was the first one to do so, as this party brings accusations against PSD every week,” said Banari, electoral candidate on behalf of the PSD. The PSD proposes the concession of Transnistria to the Russian Federation for a 30-year term. The PDM has asked the CEC to withdraw the PSD from electoral competition, invoking that the initiatives of this party are anti-constitutional. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Institute for Public Policy (IPP) signals that on March 24 morning “somebody broke fraudulently into the IPP website www.ipp.md and sent a file containing a pseudo-presentation of findings of the last survey for March 2009 conducted within the Barometer of Public Opinion Programme to many mails, while the poll should be released on March 24, at 10:00.” “Fabricators used an older presentation published on the IPP website, modifying in particular the ratings of personalities and political parties, with the presumable purpose to raise confusion with interpretation of results,” reads an IPP communication. (Source: Infotag)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) has decided to withdraw Ion Chitoroaga from the list of candidates running for parliamentary elections and all elective functions within this party, in connection with a Sunday incident which occurred during the meeting “Do Not Be Afraid of Voting”, as this person assaulted the team of cameramen of OMEGA agency. Ion Chitoroaga was the No. 56 candidate to the Parliament on behalf of PLDM. PLDM leader Vlad Filat reiterated at a press conference on Wednesday, March 25 that the PLDM has permanently demanded respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, condemned abuses committed by the communist governing against media outlets and supported the free press through concrete actions. “We do not accept intolerance and aggression, no matter who manifests them. Actions by Ion Chitoroaga run counter values and principles promoted by the party. We will have the same intransigent and firm attitude towards anybody else who will violate human rights and freedoms, regardless of his/her office and position,” Filat stated. (Source: PLDM press release)

The Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) is the favourite target for assaults by certain destructive forces, which compromise the democratic nature of parliamentary elections this year, Orhei Mayor Ion Stratulat, chairman of the PDM Orhei district organisation, Pavel Ianet, chairman of the PDM Orhei city organisation, and Ion Bodrug, chairman of the PDM Balti district organisation, have told a news conference. They cited cases of vandalisation of electoral advertising of PDM. Pavel Ianet told journalists that a PCRM billboard at the entrance of Orhei city is guarded by policemen, who should have other tasks. On the other hand, the police do not react when billboards of other parties are destroyed. (Source: PDM press release)

On Sunday, April 5, 2009, all people record and documentation offices in Moldova including those issuing emergent documents will be opened. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Information Development on Wednesday and this action aims to facilitate the voting process. Thus, people who lost their identity cards but hold the electoral right will be able to get a temporary short-term identity card F-9. As well, people who have recently applied for identity documents will be issued them urgently in order to be able to participate in elections. People record and documentation offices will be opened from 07:00 a.m. until 09:00 p.m. on April 5. (Source: Moldpres)

I do not have rivals to the post of president! Serafim Urechean, chairman of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN), has delivered this statement during an online meeting with Moldovan bloggers. The AMN leader praised young man Dorin Chirtoaca, promised to double pensions the next day after succeeding to governing and assured that the future governmental coalition made of AMN, PL and PLDM will win at least 71 seats in the Parliament. Young bloggers asked him who produced the game “Serafica Fara Frica” and how much it cost, wanted to learn findings of internal AMN surveys and who would be rivals of Urechean in the race for the office of president of Moldova. (Source: Unimedia)

The Resource Centre for Human Rights (CReDO) advises electoral contestants to improve their anti-corruption policy initiatives included in electoral platforms. It said that political parties particularly focus on administrative anti-corruption policies. Thirty percent of anti-corruption actions included in electoral platforms seek bitter punishments for public functionaries and 13 percent call for consolidation of control bodies. Transparency of public funds is ranked the 3rd place only, with 16 percent, while the fight against organised crime is ranked the 5th place with 8 percent. CreDO signals the lack of anti-corruption initiatives in some specific areas: healthcare, social sector, education, fiscal sector, police and customs. In this respect, CReDO recommends political leaders to award priority to the fight against conflicts of interests, transparent policies on public contracts, decision-making processes, anti-crime policies and media policies. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) could oblige some media outlets including TV7 and EuTV stations to change the mode of organisation of electoral debates. Independent candidate Stefan Uritu delivered such a statement at a press conference on Wednesday, March 25. Uritu said that he has contested in early March the CEC refusal to oblige the TV7 station to change its mode of conducting electoral debates, so that to enable independent candidates to participate in debates along with electoral parties. TV7 decided to separate the independents and political parties. “CEC has refused then to intervene and now the Court of Appeal made a mandatory and definitive decision. I expect the CEC to award me victory at the Friday-scheduled sitting. I will seek pecuniary damages, should the situation remain unchanged, as I have felt myself discriminated,” Uritu stated. He noted that the EUTV station which organised electoral debates like TV7 should take into account the Court of Appeal decision as well. (Source: Infotag)

The political corruption is the No.1 problem for Moldova, as it affects all other social dimensions, Info-Prim Neo has quoted Dumitru Diacov, leader of the Democratic Party (PDM), as saying. He said that this kind of corruption comes under the shape of pressure and blackmail on public functionaries, with the purpose to make them adopt illegal decisions. “The political corruption aims to get material advantages, with the need of funds being its key engine. The PDM has disapproved more than once this state of things, inclusively in the ongoing electoral campaign. A normal question raises when many parties waste bags of money to buy votes of electors: where this money comes from?!” the PDM chairman wondered. Diacov affirms that the fight against this scourge is a TV show rather than the expression of efforts aimed to really extirpate corruption. (Source: Info-Prim)