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The chairman of the “Actiunea Europeana” Social-Political Movement (MAE), Anatol Petrencu, has addressed a letter to the head of the European Commission Delegation to Moldova, Cesare de Montis, expressing regret and apologising citizens of the European Union “on behalf of Moldovans for the way the communist leadership understands the respect for the signed international agreements… The MAE considers that the latest actions taken by the communist regime to obstruct European citizens to enter the Republic of Moldova do not represent the will of Moldovan people.” He meant the hundreds of Romanians whom Moldovan border guards obstructed last week to enter Moldova, while Moldovan authorities did not explain this action so far. “We are ashamed that the acting regime resorts to such actions aimed to intimidate citizens in full electoral campaign,” reads the letter. In sign of solidarity with European citizens who were restricted to enter Moldova, MAE members will wear an armlet with EU symbols and slogan “No to Corruption! Yes to EU!” until the end of the campaign. (Source: Info-Prim)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) condemns the assault on journalist and Balti municipal councillor Veaceslav Perunov during an electoral meeting of the PCRM, with the participation of President Voronin. The journalist was assaulted under eyes of the chief of state and his bodyguards who did not get involved. This action and the refusal of Balti municipal councillors representing the PCRM to discuss the problem, as well as the inaction of police bodies persuade us that there is a certain relation between the assailant and the PCRM, according to a communication by liberal democrats. The PLDM asks the Party of Communists and President Vladimir Voronin himself to publicly condemn the assault on journalist Veaceslav Perunov and sanction such actions which are incompatible with values such as rule of law and press freedom. As well, the PLDM asks police bodies from Balti to identify the assailant and to punish him accordingly to the legislation in force. (Source: PLDM press release)

Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii has told a press conference that Moldova is facing economic and political information assaults. “The political instability in country and attempts by friends of Moldovan statehood, who many of them crowd to join the Parliament of the country that they do not see as an independent state, trouble the waters or brains of people, may do the biggest disservice to domestic economy,” Greceanii stated. “Most unfair tools are used to destabilise the situation in the country. Or, stability means ascending development of the country, which enemies of Moldovan statehood do not like,” the premier noted. According to Greceanii, the Government has been concerned in the latest period with combating “this true information war against economy of the country.” Greceanii indicated in this regard the “assaults on national currency exchange.” She fears that the goals of these assaults would be linked to the parliamentary elections. “I hope that the intensity of these attempts will decrease after the electoral campaign,” the premier outlined. At the same time, she assured that the leu will not devalue after the April 5 elections. (Source: Info-Prim)

Members of the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN) from Balti claim that they have been assaulted by an unidentified group in front of policemen who did not get involved. The chairman of the Balti-based territorial AMN organisation, Alexandru Volcov, reported this case at a press conference on Tuesday. He said that the assault took place during installation of advertising billboards in front of the Cultural and art House in Balti on March 26. “A group of more than ten unknown individuals started to assault us orally and physically and forced us to take off our yellow coats with the AMN symbol and then sequestered our billboards and destroyed them without any reason, while policemen who were at the scene did not react, though I was desperately calling for help,” Volcov told. He fears that the assault was not an accident and it had a direct connection with the arrival of President Vladimir Voronin in the city. “Going in for politics or taking actions which the ruling party would not like is very dangerous in Balti, as this party controls all levers of influences there. And our party is defamed and assaulted the most by boxers, we are threatened, our headquarters and billboards are vandalised, and the police pretend not to see all this.” (Source: Infotag)

A white minibus Mercedes escorts the car of Orhei police chief Vasile Gradinaru at meetings between leaders of opposition parties and electors. According to witnesses, a group of individuals get off the minibus, among them persons with criminal records including a former policeman from Zorile village, Orhei rayon, who organised provocations during meetings of PL leaders in Isacova and Seliste, a meeting between Corina Fusu and voters from Vatici village, and most recently, during a meeting between Dorin Chirtoaca and electors from Orhei city. Ion Handraman, department chief at the Chisinau-based Technical University, said that drunken young individuals got off the minibus concerned during Chirtoaca’s meeting in Orhei on March 28. Once Chirtoaca tried to tell something, the individuals started whistling and howling. Policemen in civil clothes did not intervene. The Orhei police chief did not want to comment these accusations. (Source: www.jurnal.md)

Things relating to the case of former premier Vasile Tarlev have developed unexpectedly after the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) outlawed on Tuesday the decision by the Court of Appeal (CA) which obliged the Ministry of Justice to register former premier Vasile Tarlev as chairman of the Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM). Tarlev was elected UCM twice, but every time the Ministry of Justice invoked reasons not to register him in this quality. The CA has awarded victory to Tarlev vs. Ministry of Justice, but the CSJ outlawed this decision. Arguments why the court made this decision are unknown so far. (Source: Deca-Press)

The headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) were vandalised early on March 31. Five unidentified individuals got off a Toyota Corolla with numbering plates BL CL 388 and threw yellow panting bags, deteriorating the lighted panel in front of the headquarters and dirtying the walls of the building. Further, the same individuals vandalised a PLDM billboard in Ion Creanga Street in Buiucani district. According to traffic police records, no car with such a number plate is registered. The PLDM fears that this is a new provocation staged by ideologists of the ruling party who seek the splitting of opposition forces. This provocation proves one more time that the communist regime is aware that it is losing the parliamentary elections and has no more arguments in the campaign aimed at splitting and libelling political opponents, says a communication. The PLDM asks competent bodies to investigate the new vandalism actions and punish the guilty. (Source: PLDM press release)

Independent candidate Sergiu Banari is calling out President Vladimir Voronin, chairman of the Party of Communists. Banari has told a press conference that he would like a political duel during April 3-scheduled debates which the public station Moldova-1 will air at 11:30 p.m. “The PCRM has announced that it would not participate in electoral debates any longer, but I invite Voronin to come on April 3 and provide arguments in connection with counts against himself and PCRM that I will make public,” Banari stated. Also on Tuesday, he submitted a letter to the Presidency, asking Voronin to participate in debates. (Source: Deca-Press)

Combatants will support the Party of Spiritual Development “Moldova Unita” (United Moldova) at the April 5 elections. General Anton Gamurari released an appeal to all comrade-in-arms on Tuesday. “I am calling upon you to vote for «Moldova Unita», which is a party of combatants. Five out of the first ten electoral candidates on its list are combatants,” said Gamurari, the No.12 candidate on electoral list of this party. If you do not like “Moldova Unita”, please vote for democratic parties, General Gamurari asked combatants. (Source: Deca-Press)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has called upon state structures, international organisations and Embassies of the Russian Federation and Ukraine to Moldova to secure and assist local authorities from Corjova village to hold the elections on April 5. According to representatives from Corjova village, which is located on the left side of the Dniester and controlled by Chisinau, separatist structures from the Transnistrian region are pressing electors and officials involved in the electoral process. The appeal addresses the Government of Moldova, the Joint Electoral Commission, the European Commission Delegation, EU Special Representative to Moldova Kalman Mizsei, the OSCE Mission and the Russian and Ukrainian Embassies in Chisinau. Authorities of Transnistrian localities controlled by Chisinau were intimidated during parliamentary elections in 2005 and local elections in 2007. (Source: Omega portal)

Independent candidate Valentina Cusnir has left the electoral race. “I have withdrawn from electoral competition in favour of PLDM in order to be able to get rid of the PCRM and PPCD,” Mrs. Cusnir stated. “I have thought about for a long time. I do not think that crossing the 3-percent electoral threshold was a problem. But by succeeding to the Parliament, I would have facilitated the election of a communist lawmaker. I cannot afford it because I am responsible in front of electors,” Cusnir noted. She stressed that she had two choices: the Liberal Party or the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova. “I have decided to withdraw in favour of PLDM, which committed itself to fulfil my electoral programme, in particular, to guarantee the electoral right of nationals from other countries,” Cusnir added. (Source: Unimedia)

The Ecological Party of Moldova “Alianta Verde” (Green Alliance/PEMAVE) has left the electoral competition in favour of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLMD). Its withdrawal was announced during debates aired by the TV station TV7. PEMAVE chairman Vladimir Braga said that the withdrawal from electoral race is motivated by frequent reproaches by the electorate regarding dispersion of democratic parties. He believes that the PLDM programme is the closest platform to the “greens” and the two parties have negotiated the takeover of some desideratum of PEMAVE. PLDM chairman PLDM Vlad Filat has stated to DECA-press that the principle problem of the PEMAVE was consulting it within governing. No positions in a future government or something like this were discussed. The green is the electoral colour of the PLDM and the oak is the symbol of this party. PEMAVE is the second party which left the electoral competition after “Pentru Neam si Tara” (For Nation and Country) Party withdrew last week in favour of “Moldova Noastra” Alliance. (Source: Deca-press)

Residents of Chisinau municipality are able to learn where they will vote on April 5, 2009 by visiting a website of the Centru Praetor’s Office. The praetor has opened a new online service “Learn where to vote!”. People who reside the Chisinau municipality may easily learn the address of the polling station where they will vote on April 5, 2009, by selecting the district they reside (Botanica, Buiucani, Centru, Ciocana, Rascani), the street and the number of the building. The application was worked out with the support of the Chisinau Electoral Constituency # 1 with the view to inform citizens about place and time of voting on April 5. It is available in Romanian and Russian and citizens are welcome to visit the column “Elections 2009”. (Source: communication by Centru Praetor’s Office, Chisinau municipality)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has announced that the printing of ballot papers for the April 5 parliamentary elections is over on March 31. According to CEC, the Central Typography and Polygraph printing house were selected to print the ballot papers for the 2009 elections. Representatives of electoral candidates, accredited observers, journalists were accepted to monitor the printing of ballot papers. (Source: Moldpres)

Unfortunately, the corruption in Moldova is combated in electoral campaigns only and the anti-corruption fight is forgotten there, says the leader of the Conservative Party (PC), Natalia Nirca. She stated to Info-Prim Neo Agency that the corruption is in the body of the governing and it has become a profitable affair for many persons. “In all these years of communist governing, funds were embezzled, public funds were laundered, economic agents which support the ruling party were advantaged, most expensive state orders were distributed to people close to the governing without any auctions. But no corruption-related case involving high-ranking public functionaries was investigated.” (Source: Info-Prim)