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One third of Moldovan population consider that a column “Against All” should be introduced in ballot papers. More than 27 percent are not sure that such a column is needed and nearly 40 percent say that it is unnecessary. These are the findings of the survey “Social factors of electoral activism” released by the Association of Sociologists and Demographists of Moldova (ASDM) at a press conference on Friday. The survey was conducted during March 9–20, 2009 on a sample of 1,585 respondents from 79 localities and has an error margin of 2.6 percent. “Those unwilling to participate in elections are more resolute that such a column should be introduced than active respondents (respectively 37 percent and 29 percent). Many young people and students called for such a column (39 percent), as well as people earning very well (47 percent),” said ASDM chairman Victor Mocanu. He noted that as regards the quality of electoral campaign, just 22 percent of the respondents said that it develops without violations, 30 percent indicated some breaches and another 48 percent do not know the situation. “The survey also reveals that just each 5th respondent (22 percent) believes that the media provided fair possibilities to candidates to introduce their electoral programmes. Four out of 10 respondents feared that some candidates are advantaged and a similar number of respondents do not know because they did not monitor the electoral campaign,” Mocanu stressed. The survey shows that about 35 percent of the respondents are short of information about political parties, as press reports about political parties are incomplete, 25 percent did not try to learn about candidates, and another 23 percent were busy with other problems. Each second respondent signalled the necessity of voter education courses. Approximately one fifth of the respondents (21 percent) said that such courses are not necessary. Almost all respondents (83 percent) believe that the participation of Moldovan population in the parliamentary elections on April 5, 2009 is important and very important.

The second part of ballot papers will be printed and carried to destination early next week. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) decided Friday to print 783,495 ballot papers for 2nd-level constituencies from Chisinau municipality, UTA Gagauzia and polling stations opened in other countries. According to CEC, 445,798 out of overall ballot papers will be printed in Romanian and 337,697 in Russian. CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan said that 63,091 ballot papers will be printed for the 33 polling stations established abroad, accordingly to data on nationals under permanent consular record. As well, applications by Moldovan ambassadors concerning the number of ballot papers will be taken into account, given the fact that there are Moldovan nationals abroad who are not registered with embassies. In the context, Ciocan noted that itineraries for transportation of ballot papers to other countries have been established, so that they will be at hand before April 1, 2009. CEC announced that 2,549,804 electors were included in voter rolls for the April 5 elections. (Source: Omega portal)

Only 0.5 percent of Moldova’s population disagree with the setting of the stamp “ELECTIONS 05.04.09” on the annex to identity cards at the April 5 elections. According to the survey “Vox populi”, 0.5 percent of the respondents said that they will participate in elections just in the event the stamp “ELECTIONS 05.04.09” will no be set on annex to identity cards. On the other hand, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) stresses that the stamp “ELECTIONS 05.04.09” shall be set, being a means to secure the voting. According to CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan, the stamp will be set on identity cards of electors to prevent the repeated participation of citizens in the voting. The survey “Vox Populi” was conducted this month by the Association of Sociologists and Demographists of Moldova on a sample of 1,585 people and has an error margin of 2.6 percent. (Source: Omega portal)

Citizens whose identity cards are expired will be able to cast their ballots. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) made a decision in this regard on Friday, March 27. According to CEC Secretary Iurie Ciocan, updated data provided by the Ministry of Information Development (MID) reveal that more than 131,000 Moldovans face such a situation and 40,000 of them are abroad. Hereby, “about 90,000 electors do not have identity cards and this number raises concern and requires such a decision,” Ciocan stated. More than 37,000 applications for new identity cards have been submitted in the last two weeks, Ciocan added. At the same time, the State Company Registru will issue free of charge next week, inclusively on Sunday, April 5, on the Election Day, the F9 form, a temporary identity card which mentions the Moldovan citizenship and residence of citizens who do not hold identity papers at present. (Source: Info-Prim)

CEC has accredited national and international observers to monitor the parliamentary elections on April 5, 2009, as follows: 6 international observers and 6 national observers on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); 4 international observers on behalf of the European Union Special Representative Office to Moldova; 209 international observers and 170 interpreters on behalf of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR); 3 international observers on behalf of the Russian Public Association called Russian Public Institute for Electoral Rights; 3 national observers on behalf of the EURASIA-Moldova Representation; 29 international observers on behalf of the Observation Mission of the Commonwealth of Independent States; 745 national observers on behalf of the League for the Protection of Human Rights in Moldova; 1 national observer representing the electoral candidate Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova to a polling station outside Moldova; 14 national observers on behalf of the electoral candidate Liberal Party to polling stations outside Moldova. (Source: CEC communication)

The Democratic Party (PDM) organised a roundtable on March 27 and invited Moldovan and foreign experts to discuss the European integration of Moldova. Opening the meeting, PDM chairman Dumitru Diacov eulogised efforts made by the government led by Ion Sturza in 1999 on European integration direction. “In just nine months, the Sturza Government has taken much more concrete actions than the incumbent governing. It laid then the basis of this process,” Diacov assured. He criticised the incumbent governing saying that though it declared the approaching to Europe as a national priority, it does not move a finger for this purpose. PDM deputy chairman Oleg Serebrian spoke out about political theories which analyse further developments in Europe. Although he declared himself the advocate of Moldova’s accession to NATO, Serebrian noted that it will be hard to do this, exemplifying the refusal received by Georgia and Ukraine at the Bucharest NATO summit a year ago. As well, he insisted on impossibility to see Moldova member to the European Union and Commonwealth of Independent States at the same time, “as these are two different free exchange areas.” The PDM organised the roundtable on European integration of Moldova to draw recommendations for future government. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Chisinau municipal staff of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) has decided to redirect amounts raised to the electoral fund to arranging public places in the capital. Within the same initiative, area sanitation and arranging actions will be organised on March 28, in 10 Butucului Street (Humanitas Association) at 11:00 and in Cricova city at crossroad of Chisinaului and Ungureanu Streets at 13:00. Journalists and everybody willing to participate in these actions are welcome. (Source: PDM press service)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) has marked the 91st anniversary of the Historical Act on the Union of Bessarabia with the Kingdom of Romania by laying down flowers at monuments of Sfatul Tarii members in the Central Graveyard in Chisinau. Participants kept silence to the remembrance of those who signed the Union Act and lighted candles at their monuments. “The 27th of March, 1918 was a turning day in history of all those who reside this territory, Romanians from Bessarabia. We have come to honour those who proved courage and wisdom 91 years ago and signed the Act on the Union of Bessarabia with Romania,” said Alexandru Tanase, first deputy chairman of PLDM. As well, participants in the meeting laid down flowers at monuments of Grigore Vieru, Doina and Ion Aldea Teodorovici, Ion Vatamanu, and other late personalities who fought to draw closer the two banks of the Proute, for national rebirth, Romanian language and Latin script. (Source: PLDM press release)

On occasion of the 91st anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, the Young Organisation of the Liberal Party (PL) laid down flowers Friday, March 27 at monuments of Sfatul Tarii members in the Central Graveyard and lighted candles to the remembrance of our great predecessors. As well, Young Liberals kept silence in front of monuments of Gheorghe Ghimpu and Grigore Vieru, who dedicated their lives to the ideal of unification of Romanian nation. Young Liberals spoke about life and work of Sfatului Tarii members and significance of the 1918 Union Act. “The Union Act from 27 March 1918 changed the historical configuration of Europe. Eighty-six out of 103 Sfatului Tarii members voted then for the union with Romania. Sfatul Tarii, as legislative body of Bessarabia since 1918, was the headstone in building the reunified Romania. We are confident that Moldova will become a member of the European Union in the near future and thus we will find ourselves as nation with our brothers from over the Proute in a united Europe,” said PL spokesman Ion Negrei. At the end of the meeting, Young Liberals laid down flowers and lighted candles at the monument of Stefan cel Mare si Sfant in Chisinau downtown. (Source: PL press release)

Electoral promises made by opposition parties are populist, says President Vladimir Voronin, noting that majority of people realise this fact. According to the chief of state, all promises to provide facilities, allowances, to exempt form VAT, cancel debts or grant very high subsidies “are called cheap populism”. “Or, we calculate every proposal very seriously, by taking into account real possibilities of state budget. Facilities, allowances, subsidies are not granted like this, on a sudden,” the chief of state was quoted as saying by the Romanian TV station N24. “We have proposed the European integration as a strategic development direction of Moldova and all Parliament gave green light. The so-called opposition accepted it by raising the hand, and that’s it. No concrete action came from this side later. In its turn, the governing has adopted more than 220 laws accordingly to European standards in three years of the EU-Moldova Action Plan implementation. The opposition did not want to vote with us the majority of these laws, adopted after consultations with European experts, and it was against,” Voronin added. (Source: Omega portal)

The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) is suspending its participation in TV electoral debates, accordingly to a decision announced on Friday. According to a PCRM statement, the party is promoting its electoral platform “via a direct dialogue with electors, not through reciprocal rows on TV.” “The Party of Communists describes as impossible any talks on principle issues with its political opponents which lists are crowded by citizens from other countries, mottled by criminal authorities and internationally wanted persons,” reads the PCRM statement. At the same time, the party refuses “categorically” to meet during electoral debates “with political opponents for which the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova is a fiction.” In the context, the PCRM hopes that the supplementary airtime yielded to its political opponents “will be used efficiently to further expose their true visions, values and beliefs.” (Source: Omega portal)

The independent member to the Balti Municipal Council, Slava Perunov, was ill-treated while he was trying to get himself into the Municipal Cultural Palace, where chief of state Vladimir Voronin was set for an electoral meeting. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon under eyes of presidential bodyguards. The individual who hit the councillor did not wear any badge. The leader of the municipal communist faction, Andrei Kapsamun, said that the incident was alleged, being a misinformation. According to reports, the individuals who ill-treated Slava Perunov were seen on Thursday morning intimidating and threatening five representatives of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN). (Source: DECA-press)

Business associations recommend political parties to adjust their electoral programmes to priorities of the 2009 National Business Agenda. The agenda was presented at a conference with participation of representatives of parties and business associations. It sets five priorities and goals to be accomplished the next five years for development of a competitive and attractive business environment: reducing administrative barriers and ensuring a healthy competitive environment; optimising the fiscal system; promoting foreign investments, consolidating law institutions, developing and using human capital efficiently. This way, businesspersons wanted to send a clear message to parties which will decide on legislative agenda or will participate in formation of the future Government of Moldova, on priority problems which will be settled in 2009. The National Business Agenda is a joint platform of approximately 27 business associations, bringing together more than 55 percent of all associations from Moldova. Business Associations which supported this process study business problems and propose solutions and policies to settle them. (Source: Infotag)

The social-political “Actiunea Europeana” Movement (MAE) announces the creation of an Economic Council made of economic analysts and specialists from Moldova, both MAE supporters or members and politically unaffiliated persons. The purpose of the council is to assist the MAE expert team to work out an action plan against poverty for the first year of governing. The next day after general elections in Moldova and formation of the new Government, the MAE has assumed the economic and social development of the country by applying measures able to combat the generalised poverty. The Economic Council which supports the MAE includes economic doctors, directors of industrial businesses and economic analysts, both MAE supporters or members and politically unaffiliated persons. They are joined by a group of 10 citizens representing various social-professional categories, which will be in charge with guaranteeing that all actions taken by ruling MAE party meet the interests of common people. (Source: MAE communication)

The message by the social-political “Actiunea Europeana” Movement (MAE) is clear: we must terminate the corruption, root it out, if we want to build a strong Moldova, said Vitalia Pavlicenco, No.2 candidate on MAE list. She stated in an interview with Info-Prim Neo that everything built on an ill basement will grow red of corruption virus. “We have the sad experience of the last 18 years, when Moldova was a no-head country ruled by people who saw nothing but their interest and stole public funds until they dried the country. The corruption is the main cause of poverty in Moldova, it is the biggest evil which has ever rushed up on us. Therefore, it is now the time to terminate it by getting rid of governors who widened it in Moldova,” Pavlicenco stated. (Source: Info-Prim)