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The sociological services CBS-AXA and IMAS-INC will conduct the exit poll on the Election Day, April 5. The poll is funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and USAID via the Eurasia Fund to Moldova. The executive director of the Institute for Public Policy, Arcadie Barbarosie, said that these services have been selected at a contest. “The services will conduct the poll nationwide. Each fifth elector is expected to participate in the poll,” Barbarosie stated. He noted that the findings of the exit poll will be released at 9:00 p.m. on the Election Day. “Electors will be asked to answer some questions, including whom did they vote,” the executive director added. (Source: Infotag)

Journalists from newspapers “Jurnal de Chisinau” and “Timpul” as well as the radio station “Vocea Basarabiei” are calling upon Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), Liberal Party (PL) and “Moldova Noastra” (Our Moldova) Alliance (AMN) to give a clear signal to electors that they will make a coalition after the April 5 elections. “Timpul” director Constantin Tanase told a press conference on Thursday, March 26 that electors expect the union of democratic parties. “Jurnal de Chisinau” director Val Butnaru stated that by releasing this Appeal, signatories assume a risk and a responsibility. “Vocea Basarabiei” director Veaceslav Tibuleac said that the 30 percent of electors who did not decide yet whom to vote are expecting a signal from liberal democratic parties. “I think that the undecided electors will know whom to vote, should leaders of the three parties promise the unification of forces after the April 5 parliamentary elections,” he stated. (Source: Infotag)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) is asking the local public administration to check the voter rolls more thoroughly. CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan said that the information from the State Register of Population is consultative and cannot serve as a basis for issuing voters’ rolls. Mayoralties must include into voters’ rolls the names of people who turned 18 years old and have a permanent or temporary residence in the locality concerned, and delete the dead persons. Elsewhere, the CEC representative told electoral contestants who have plans to modify electoral lists that they are free to apply in this regard until March 28, 5:00 p.m. (Source: Moldpres)

The media keeps making political partisanship — this is the conclusion of the 4th monitoring report on coverage of electoral campaign by 24 Moldovan media outlets. The report was released on Thursday, March 26 by the Independent Journalism Centre (CIJ) and Independent Press Association (API) within the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Coalition-2009”. The 24 media institutions were monitored during March 12–18, 2009. “Findings of the monitoring confirm the trends recorded during previous monitoring periods,” said CIJ ad-interim director Nadine Gogu. “Journalists from majority of media institutions advantage or disadvantage certain electoral candidates. Electoral candidates do not enjoy an equal access to the media. As well, some journalists manipulate the information, withdraw certain statements from the context, interpret and distort facts,” Gogu noted. API executive director Petru Macovei said that “the vocabulary used by some media institutions in this period is exaggeratedly critical, it is not always argued and often defames electoral contestants which they do not support, and this may erode the public trust and influence the evolution of electoral campaign negatively.” Experts did not attest major changes in the coverage of electoral campaign by monitored broadcasting media. Broadcasters which made political partisanship for one or another party kept doing this. (Source: Info-Prim)

Christian democratic mayors say that the results they accomplished in localities they rule are mainly due to efficient cooperation between the parliamentary faction representing the Christian Democratic People’s Party (PPCD) and the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM). Tudor Cosulet, mayor of Ulmu village, Ungheni rayon, told a press conference on Thursday that though he is running his second mandate, he acknowledges that local elected officials and central government cooperate most efficiently in 2005–2009. “With the support of Christian democratic lawmakers, Christian democratic mayors have implemented 219 projects worth 70 million lei in 146 localities, renovating schools, kindergartens, family doctors centres, cultural facilities in that period,” Cosulet stated. He noted that these accomplishments were due both to PPCD-PCRM cooperation and training of Christian democratic mayors within the PPCD-opened Institute for Regional Development and Rural Administration to attract European funds. According to Cosulet, the April 4, 2005 decision of the PPCD to cooperate with the communists was positive. He stressed that the PPCD will make a coalition in future Parliament “with all parties which accept the Christian democratic doctrine.” Other PPCD mayors expressed similar opinions. (Source: Infotag)

The leader of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN), Serafim Urechean, has called upon Moldovan nationals from other countries to participate in elections and persuade their relatives and friends from Moldova to take part “in a radical change within governing of the country along with the AMN.” Urechean stressed among others that the April 5 elections are very important for Moldova’s future, especially in the context of world financial crisis. (Source: AMN appeal)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has announced that ballot papers for the April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections are being printed starting March 26, 2009. Representatives of electoral candidates, accredited observers and journalists are free to monitor the printing of ballot papers after applying to CEC for this purpose. (Source: CEC communication)

The “Pentru Neam si Tara” (For People and Country) Party has withdrawn from electoral race in favour of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN). According to a statement, the party motivates its withdrawal “with the necessity to strengthen the democratic pole”. “AMN is the key political party to bury the incumbent communist governing. Our electoral programmes and platforms have many tangencies and assure the promotion of common political objectives,” reads the statement. “Pentru Neam si Tara” promises to keep being an independent political party after the electoral campaign. (Source: Infotag)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) approved Thursday, March 26 the application of electoral contestant “Pentru Neam si Tara” Political Party to leave the electoral race for the April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections and decided to delete it from ballot papers. (Source: CEC communication)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) should apologise journalists who were assaulted during the meeting held by this party in the Great National Assembly Square last Sunday. This is the opinion of members of the Civic Control — Elections 2009 Coalition, which released a new election monitoring report on Thursday. Coalition director Alexandr Barbov said that organisation members are astonished with the assault by a PLDM candidate on the team of cameramen from Omega agency. As well, the Civic Control — Elections 2009 Coalition signalled that the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN) is using illegal electioneering methods. In particular, people in clothes with AMN symbols sell first-need goods for low prices in Gratiesti village. (Source: Moldpres)

The Russian Union of Producers (RUP) awarded the “Alexei Kosighin” prize to Vasile Tarlev, chairman of the Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM), during a sitting of the UCM Republican Political Council on March 26, 2009. The prize was handed in by the deputy chairman of the Russian Union of Producers, Grigore Kharchenko, head of the RUP apparatus, who arrived in Chisinau from Moscow for this purpose. The prize includes an honour diploma, a medal featuring bas-relief of Alexei Kosighin and the bust of this known personality. According to Kharchenko, the prize was awarded to Vasile Tarlev as a sign of high appreciation for his contribution to developing and consolidating economic and commercial relations between Moldova and Russian Federation. (Source: UCM press release)

“If the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), Liberal Party (PL) and «Moldova Noastra» Alliance (AMN) made a political coalition within these elections, they would have sent a very clear message to electorate that the liberal democratic pole, which is a powerful gravity point for votes of people with democratic and national visions, was built,” says parliamentarian Anatol Taranu. He noted in a statement that “a pre-electoral coalition would have helped people much to make an alternative choice.” Taranu believes that a joint statement of these parties is necessary “to get as many as possible ballots, which would guarantee a democratic-liberal governing in this formula.” “A pre-electoral political coalition which must turn into a post-electoral ruling coalition would be a very clear signal,” Taranu stressed. He fears that “Actiunea Europeana” (European Action) Movement (MAE) “does not have chances to cross the threshold and the votes given to this party could automatically go to the communists.” He recalls that some months ago he has withdrawn from the National Liberal Party (PNL), which he led as deputy chairman, and this party supports MAE at elections. (Source: Infotag)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) raises concern with recent assaults on representatives of media institutions by some electoral candidates. It warns that such behaviour is intolerable within a democratic electoral process. The commission calls upon all participants in electoral campaign to respect the effective legislation, inclusively the Conduct Code and Law on mass media. As well, CEC reiterates that accordingly to the conduct code on development and coverage of electoral campaign for the 2009 parliamentary elections signed at the beginning of electoral campaign, electoral contestants and media outlets pledged to hold a fair campaign and build mutual confidence and respect. CEC respects the freedom of expression of all people and supports true information of citizens about electoral developments through all available means. (Source: CEC statement)

The doctrine of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) is based neither on socialism, nor on communism, but focuses on building a social state. The chief of state, Vladimir Voronin, PCRM leader, has delivered this statement to a Romanian TV channel. The PCRM chairman stated that his party has always assessed realities of life the way they are, without any dogmatism. He noted that after considering causes of the collapse of the Communist Party of Soviet Union, PCRM adepts decided to modify the communist doctrine very seriously and categorically, adjusting it to our realities. “We are realistic people, people who concretely consider the situation — of nowadays. But the main fact is that the doctrine of our present party is based neither on socialism nor on communism, but focuses on building a social state,” the PCRM leader added. (Source: Moldpres)

The Central Electoral Commission announces that the elections will take place on April 5, 2009 at 1,977 polling stations. As many as 1,944 polling stations have been established inside of the country and another 33 within diplomatic missions and consulates of Moldova abroad. The voting will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., local time. All Moldovan citizens who hold identity cards will be expected to cast their ballots. (Source: CEC communication)

The corruption has become one of most serious problems in Moldova, posing one of highest risks to future of our country, former premier Vasile Tarlev, leader of the Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM), has stated to Info-Prim Neo. Tarlev stressed three categories of non-economic factors which fuel the corruption: 1. the imperfect legal framework which let bureaucrats interpret the legislation the way they want and establish own rules, the influence exercised by bureaucratic elite on political elite, authoritarian political control on judicial system and Centre for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption; 2. the political and social apathy of civil society, as well as limited access of the media to covering the decision-making process, particularly at intermediary, bureaucratic level; 3. the low cultural level in doing business in our country, which directly encourages the corruption. According to UCM, the corruption is also born by low remuneration of public servants, nepotism relations in recruiting and promoting bureaucrats on hierarchical scale of political institutions. “We think that the corruption itself has prepared the ground for installation of the acting authoritarian ruling regime in Moldova,” added Tarlev, who was prime minister in 2001–2008. (Source: Info-Prim)

The National Public Broadcasting Institution “Teleradio-Moldova” (TRM) is asking the Prosecutor-General’s Office and other competent bodies “to protect the normal and free work of the company’s employee” who feel themselves “intimidated” by members of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN). The company said in a statement that the TRM administration accuses the AMN of “brutally pressing the national public broadcaster, stifling the press freedom.” It notes that the AMN lies when it claims that the Party of Communists is favoured during the news programme “Mesager”. The broadcaster says that “the AMN did not like the fact that all media outlets including «Teleradio-Moldova» have presented the findings of the Barometer of Public Opinion, which revealed that it would win just 5.4 percent of the votes if the parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, rather than the editorial policy of the company.” (Source: Infotag)

Just one day before the scheduled protest, the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN) has suspended plans to picket the “Teleradio-Moldova” Company (TRM), waiting for a reaction from the Board of Observers of this institution. According to an AMN press release, the party is indignant with the way the AMN protest “against TRM servitude to electoral interests of the communists” was reported on Wednesday, March 25. The party led by Serafim Urechean notes that there was no immediate official reaction from the Board of Observers. It was waiting on Thursday, March 26 for practical actions by this body in charge with supervising respect for law within the National Public Broadcasting Institution. (Source: AMN press release)