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Three CEC members, Mihai Busuleac, Vasile Gafton and Nicolae Garbu, have signed the CEC report on totalising of the April 5, 2009 elections for the 17th legislature, raising some reservations as follows:

1. Although the totals are based on reports issued by lower electoral bodies, we are reserved over rightness of these figures, as local public administrations gravely violated the electoral legislation when they issued the voter rolls. The CEC carries much responsibility in this respect, as it delivered some CDs to secretaries of district councils at the beginning of electoral campaign which contained personal data of Moldovan citizens provided by the Ministry of Information Development to issue the voter rolls. It was further found that those CDs contained wrong data, so that the voter rolls included people who died 15–20 years ago; who did not and do not reside at addresses indicated in those lists;
2. The applications submitted to the CEC confirmed such frauds, in particular, owners of real estates who notified the CEC that while casting their ballots they have seen in voter rolls some people registered with their residences while they denied their residence registration.
3. These doubts are objectively confirmed by the fact that the electoral candidate Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova contested on April 11 in the Constitutional Court the CEC Decision # 2501 from April 8, 2009, which provided electoral contestants with access to voter rolls and possibility to take copies of these lists.
4. On April 4 and 5, the nationwide-coverage TV station EU TV made abusive propaganda for electoral contestants by violating deliberately Article 47 (14) of the Election Code and disadvantaging other electoral candidates.
5. In the electoral period, the electoral candidate Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova has maximally used administrative resources and this influenced the election results. (Source: Unimedia)

The Supreme Security Council has examined the issue related to the coup d’état attempt in Moldova. The chief of state heard detailed reports by administrations of the Prosecutor-General’s Office, Interior Ministry, Information and Security Service, Ministry of Justice regarding nature and evolution of developments from April 6 and 7. He stressed that the cynic assault on Moldovan democracy and statehood involved forces which want to deprive country of the European prospect, turn away the country from the way leading to a civilised development and democracy, make it hostage of a complex geopolitical situation and deprive it of independence. The president noted that competent authorities shall do their best to punish all organisers of the April 6 and 7 actions in line with effectual legislation. As well, Vladimir Voronin emphasised that democratic processes in Moldova must not give up in front of provokers. We must be superior to those who organised the crowd and further declined any responsibility for the so-called uncontrolled actions, the president underlined. We must be above those who initially took minors to the street and now are indignant that they were beaten by policemen or that authorities did their best to further prevent the participation of minors in street protests. Us, as responsible authorities, we have to find a solution to this situation only under the rule of law, Constitution and democratic standards. We must be competent and prove a spirit of transparency by deeply cooperating with society while investigating these developments and taking actions to prevent their repetition, Voronin recommended. In the context, he said that as leader of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, he is confident that the PCRM initiative on vote recount in the April 5, 2009 elections will be an important factor of stability, comeback to all democratic processes, civilised development way and will allow the new legislature to start working in a more constructive environment. (Sourcea: Moldpres)

The April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections and post-electoral developments revealed the anti-people and dictatorial nature of the communist regime installed by Vladimir Voronin in the Republic of Moldova. The election fraud, the arranged coup d’état attempt by storming the Parliament and Presidency, the charging of the PL, PLDM and AMN, the accusation of Romania of being involved in the primitive scenario on alleged coup d’état attempt, the repressive and unprecedented cruel actions taken by the police and judiciary against children, young people, all citizens nationwide revealed the goals of the communist regime. They are: to keep the rule at all costs in order to hide the crimes committed by the 8-year-old governing and avoid punishment; to eliminate the PL, PLDM and AMN from political scene by declaring them illegal; to stop the European course of Moldova and definitively anchoring it on the CIS; to annihilate any political and civic resistance and opposition by repressing children, youths, all citizens who have democratic and pro-European options; to make new generations educated in the spirit of European values migrate to civilised member states of the European Union; to internationally isolate the Republic of Moldova, to abolish the state based on the rule of law and set up the dictatorship. The PL, PLDM and AMN blame the communist governing for crime against state and citizens and it will carry all responsibility. This week, the police, Information and Security Service, prosecutor’s office, law courts committed unprecedented cruel actions: hundreds of innocent children, students, and people of all ages, local and international journalists have been persecuted, arrested, beaten cruelly, investigated summarily with violation of legal proceedings, tried and sentenced. This repressive chain deployed by the communist governing involved all security forces and the terror covered all Moldova. The PL, PLDM and AMN fear that Moldova faces an unprecedented phenomenon: a complete system of violence is being set with the participation of all security structures and law courts of the state with the purpose to introduce a general terror and insecurity climate in society, which must be called state terrorism. The PL, PLDM and AMN urge the communist governing to stop the terror against children and young people, to release all arrested persons and ensure investigations in compliance with legal proceedings. As well, we demand it to make public the names of the arrested people, the reasons of the arrest and their whereabouts, to ensure the access of lawyers, parents, journalists, nongovernmental and international organisations to the arrested people. The PL, PLDM and AMN demand an immediate halt to persecutions against media outlets, to pursuit and arrest of journalists, as well as to expelling of foreign reporters. The PL, PLDM and AMN ask the European Union, Council of Europe, the United States to get involved emergently in order to stop the illegal arrests, ill-treatments, torture and all abuses committed by the communist governing against young people, journalists, own citizens.

“The 7th of April 2009 was one of most tragic days in the contemporary history of the Republic of Moldova. Hiding itself behind democratic slogans and being inspired by irresponsible politicians, the crowd bestially committed one of the gravest crimes against country’s sovereignty. By storming the Parliament and Presidency buildings like barbarians, robbing and destroying state patrimony, it vandalised both symbols of state leadership inclusively the national flag and arms of the Republic of Moldova and democratic processes developed in our country in the last 18 years. In order to reach their goal and notably the subversion of the legitimately elected governing, these successors of the “velvet revolution” used the most miserable methods. Once they were incapable to honestly win the democratic elections confirmed by all international observers, the behind-curtain directors of these protests chose another way. The role of masters of state destinies and cannon fodder went to young people of 12–20 years old in reality. Instigating skilfully the spirits of the crowd and manipulating it, the heads of the storming on the Parliament and Presidency buildings provoked an assault of demonstrators on security and law enforcement bodies, clearly expecting the use of force against children. But the resistance of the state leadership and law enforcement bodies combated most courageous expectations of fieriest fighters against the “totalitarian regime”, becoming their nightmare. Thanks to the political decision not to use the force against demonstrators, due to the resistance and self-sacrifice of policemen, the 7th of April 2009 did not turn into the day of national shame of the Republic of Moldova. The country succeeded to avoid bloodsheds, maintain civic peace and prevent the polarising of society following the example of political palette of the newly-elected parliament. Members of the Civic Control — Elections 2009 Coalition call upon the political class in Moldova not to use minors in battles for authority and accept the internationally recognised election results, no matter how discouraging they are for some of them.” (Source: Moldpres)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) reported that several electoral contestants have applied for the checking of supplementary electoral lists issued for the April 5, 2009 parliamentary elections. Now representatives of electoral contestants along with electoral functionaries and members of law courts are checking the electoral lists, including supplementary rolls. To note that electoral contestants were allowed to make copies of electoral lists. CEC is confident that this activity enhances the transparency of electoral process by providing access to electoral documentation. (Source: CEC communication)

President Vladimir Voronin has asked the EU Representative for Common External and Security Policy, Mr. Havier Solana to deploy a mission of European officials to collect facts about real state of things in Moldova. Voronin said that this delegation is necessary to prevent any media speculations relating to latest developments in Moldova. As well, the chief of state noted that the Moldovan authorities are ready to provide European institutions with evidence, including pictures and video records about the protests. Javier Solana supported the initiative on deploying an EU mission to Moldova, promising that this request will be considered in priority. Finally, Vladimir Voronin and Javier Solana agreed to resume the talks on post-electoral situation in Moldova after one week. (Source: Infotag)

The U.S. ambassador to Moldova, Asif Chaudhry, has stated to the INFOTAG Agency: “With regard to developments starting Sunday, I would like to say that the authorities had a restrained reaction, while the manifestation in front of Presidency and Parliament was beyond the control and brought material damages and injured people. Grave consequences were avoided this way. However, we are concerned about the actions taken by the Moldovan authorities later, when the protests restarted in a peaceful manner. In a public address and during a discussion with the opposition, we have called upon parties to refrain from violence and to settle divergences in a peaceful manner. While meeting Government representatives, we have called on authorities to protect the right to free and peaceful expression… We are concerned about the actions taken after the restart of peaceful protests and I have raised this concern directly while meeting President Voronin. We are concerned particularly about detention of journalists and students without apparent basis and about pressures on teachers to prevent their students from participation in demonstrations. We received direct complaints from journalists who told us about intimidation. We saw credible television reports about cases when journalists and students had been detained and beaten. Such cases, including mistreatment and intimidation of journalists or any other citizen, should not take place in a democracy… Our position is that the government should hear the grievances and resolve them in an atmosphere of constructive cooperation with the opposition. The decision of the government to allow the opposition parties to check the voters lists and the recalculation of votes is a welcome step in that direction. We call upon all citizens of Moldova to cooperate in order to find a peaceful and democratic solution to this situation and move the country forward.”

The police have held 166 individuals involved in disturbances in the Chisinau downtown during April 6–8, actions which culminated with the storming of the Presidency and Parliament headquarters. Ala Meleca, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, has told a briefing that 86 out of 166 persons were arrested. Another 88 persons are in custody at home and 33 were told not to leave the country during investigations. Nineteen minors were involved in the vandalism actions and they were accommodated at the Interior Ministry’s placement centre for minors. All minors were further delivered to their parents. It was found that these children are from Chisinau municipality, rayons of Cahul, Straseni and Calarasi. Fourteen children are in custody at home. The minors involved in the disturbances were instructed with the participation of parents, psychologists and social assistants. Persons investigated under criminal charges are held in preventive detention facilities, being provided all necessities including healthcare. As many as 129 persons are in administrative custody, receiving a jail term of between 3 and 30 days. The Interior Ministry spokesperson noted that relatives of all the held persons were notified by the police inclusively via lawyers. The list of the held people is available at the General Police Department and website of the Interior Ministry. According to Ala Meleca, law enforcement bodies will continue the investigations with the purpose to punish all the participants in the disturbances. (Source: Moldpres)

The Board of Rectors from Moldova disapproves and condemns categorically the storming at the Presidency and Parliament headquarters during the street riots on April 7, 2009: “These actions have no connection with the university mission and democratic protest norms, education of youth in the spirit of honouring state values and symbols.” The Board of Rectors called upon studious youths, professors and parents not to get involved into illegal and violent demonstrations which do not comply with democratic norms and may destabilise the situation, give birth to chaos and confrontations and, most tragic, endanger the life and health of the youth, the greatest wealth of the country. As well, the board called upon security bodies and media institutions to refrain from inadequate measures and reports which could strain and worsen the situation. (Source: Moldpres)

In an interview with the Radio Free Europe, well-known political analyst Vladimir Socor has commented the violent protests from 7 April 2009: “State institutions from Moldova were widely stormed on April 7. What was the initial nature of the protests and why did they turn into barbarism? The initial nature of protests of schoolchildren and students was partly political, but also had a clear dimension of entertainment, inspired of course with TV records or some European protests, inclusively violent riots. French sociologists for example called the phenomenon «rioting for fun» (emeutes ludiques). The French and U.S. police would have stopped immediately an unauthorised demonstration before any assaults on state institutions. But it was seen that the Moldovan police lack elementary equipment for what is called crowd control and were not trained for such situations. It seems to me urgently necessary for the state authorities to demand technical assistance in this respect from the EU and some EU member states. But not at all from Russia: something like this would seriously harm the image of authorities. In Chisinau, leaders of the opposition and civil society have distanced themselves from vandals very delicately and prudently. I am surprised that some dedicated leaders of civil society were late two days to publish their position in a joint document. Some politicians and leaders of opinion seem to condemn the violence and damages with half and even quarter of voice. The structure of some sentences proves this ambiguity: the violence is criticised or just recalled in short incidental sentences followed by long sentences hunting phantoms. This ambiguity seems to me wrong and harmful for the opposition leaders themselves, as they do not assume the role of defenders of the public order and stability, leaving this exclusive role to the governing. Of course, this is the responsibility of the governing first of all. But the authorities have committed the gravest mistake by trying to charge Romania. This accusation is not plausible and cannot persuade through petty statements. The formal and especially informal policy of Bucharest is often very wrong, lacks expertise, but this is another issue. Instead of speculations, the Republic of Moldova should ask the EU to participate in a professional, depoliticised investigation of the violent assault on state institutions of the Republic of Moldova.” (Source: Radio Free Europe)

PASOS (Policy Association for an Open Society) considers that the election process in Moldova was rigged, thus causing people’s protests in Chisinau downtown. This tells a PASOS statement to the Council of Europe, European Commission, and Czech EU Presidency. According to PASOS, “instead of addressing the protester’s requests, the regime appealed to disproportional and indiscriminate arrests and beatings of protesters, harassment of the opposition, banning private media, internet resources, crushing upon public meetings, and leaders of the opposition, thus, degenerating the initial legitimate protests into a large political crisis, which may have extremely negative consequences for the constitutional regime in Moldova”. The authors stress that independent monitoring reports show that authorities have rigged elections in Moldova. PASOS urged the EU to take part in the reinstallation of democratic institutions and norms in Moldova, to deploy special group of envoys to investigate and monitor the latest events and to mediate the emerging political crisis in Moldova, requesting immediate liberation of arrested protestors. The statement was signed by over 30 NGOs from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kirgizstan, Latvia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Georgia. (Source: pasos.org)