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The quality and accuracy of the registers of voters for the July 29 legislative elections will be verified by the Association for the Promotion of Legal Clinics of Moldova. The program is launched in partnership with the League for the Defense of Human Rights of Moldova. “The quality of the electoral rolls at the April 5 parliamentary elections was challenged in the electoral bodies and courts. The Central Electoral Commission asked the local public authorities to show responsibility and carefully compile the electoral registers for the July 29 early elections. Presently, the lists are not being checked and there is a risk that the lists of voters will be inaccurate,” the authors of the program say. The Association recruited and trained 237 monitors that will check the electoral rolls at 200 polling places considered problematic at the April 5 elections. The Association for the Promotion of Legal Clinics of Moldova is a nongovernmental, apolitical organization. (Info-Prim)

The Moldovan Institute for Human Rights (IDOM) monitored how the electoral registers were being compiled and verified in 33 settlements of Moldova during June 27 — July 16. It ascertained that the April 5 registers of voters were not used in only three of the monitored settlements. “The rolls compiled for April 5 on the basis of the lists of the Ministry of Information Development were used in 30 settlements. In seven settlements, there was also used information from the registry office, while in 17 villages — the local registers as well,” said independent expert Vlad Lupan, coordinator of the project. The IDOM monitors reported that representatives of the local public administration checked the lists at home in 14 settlements. But the Central Electoral Commission recommended this to the authorities of 18 settlements. According to the preliminary data presented by the IDOM, about 7, 800 persons will come of age between April 5 and July 29. 3,400 persons have died. “Therefore, the number of voters will rise by over 4,000,” Lupan said. The preliminary report by IDOM also says that the shortage of time and of financial and human recourses was among the most serious problems encountered by the local public administration. The experts said that the electoral registers have not yet been posted. They should have been in place already so that the people could check them to see if their names were included. (Info-Prim)

Representatives of the Balti-based young wing of the Party of Communists (PCRM) have jeopardised an electoral meeting of Marian Lupu, informal leader of the Democratic Party (PD), blocking the entrance of the National Theatre Vasile Alecsandri with banners and slogans. The incident took place on Thursday evening. Dozens of young people including minors clothed in T-shirts representing the ruling party carried slogans such as “Belitsi ne proschyayut predatelelei” (Balti does not forgive traitors); “Lupu, lider neudachnikov” (Lupu, leader of losers), etc. There were local communist leaders and functionaries from the Balti City Hall among protesters. Some supporters of Marian Lupu gave up plans to attend the meeting and left away, while about 300 people took other ways, inclusively by leaping the tall lateral walls of the building and got into the building. The communists blocked the entry of the theatre for about two hours. PD representatives from Balti explained that they had to close up all doors of the building, as the PCRM has introduced approximately 300 well-done fake invitations. Lupu began his meeting with electors an hour later than scheduled. The building was cut off electricity after an hour and Lupu had to address his supporters in the dark. Commenting on what has happened, former speaker Lupu, who was formerly received in that city with highest honours, said this would mean that the PCRM is afraid of the PD, and the communists resort to wrong electoral competition methods and involve “criminal elements”. In his turn, the Balti police chief, Colonel Valeriu Poparcea said that the police did not intervene because the action of the communists was perfectly legal. We do not involve unless clashes. The situation was under police control, Colonel Poparcea stated. The local PCRM leader, Vladimir Vitiuk, said that his party expressed its attitude towards Lupu this way, but denied any forgery of invitations for the electoral meeting of PD. (Deca-press)

The Independent Press Association (API) signals a new abuse by authorities against journalists. Reporters from the Sangerei-based local newspapers “Ecoul Nostru” and “Plai Sangerean”, as well as the regional correspondent of the public radio station were obstructed on July 15 afternoon to do their job by bodyguards and advisers of Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanai, PCRM candidate to the early parliamentary elections, at a meeting between the latter and economic agents from Sangerei. Although the sitting was public, journalists were told that they could not attend it but as common citizens and could not record and take photos. API recalls that similar cases were recorded in Glodeni and Donduseni last week and nongovernmental media organizations notified foreign diplomatic missions and representations over worsening of functioning climate for the Moldovan media before the early parliamentary elections. API asks the prime minister to stop anti-media abuses, as journalists have the right to report events with the participation of dignitaries who are remunerated from the public budget. (API communiqué)

If the Democratic Party (DP) comes to power after the July 29 early parliamentary elections, it will have three foreign policy priorities: European integration, good relations with the neighboring countries and strategic partnership with the Russian Federation, ex-speaker Marian Lupu and now DP leader Marian Lupu told at a news conference on Friday. Lupu said that when it comes to European integration the Democrats will take concrete deeds rather than confine to just words as it happened so far. According to him, Moldova should sincerely strive to join the EU because this is the “democratic system of values and standards”. “The DP will try to obtain the following things from the EU: free movement of goods, people and capital; cancellation of visa requirements for Moldovan citizens; reaching a new agreement on cooperation and new privileges as part of the asymmetric trade regime”, Lupu said. “The DP speaks in favor of improving relations with Romania and considers that the signing of the basic political treaty and the border treaty meets the interests of both states”, Lupu said, adding that his party advocates the cancellation of Moldovan visas for Romanian citizens. Speaking about relations with Russia, Lupu said that they should develop at the bilateral level, as well as part of talks on settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. Moldovan-Russian relations should be based on mutual respect, Lupu stressed. The DP also speaks for strengthening Moldova’s neutrality. (Infotag)

The Communist candidates say that their political adversaries more often use the lies. “Hitler said that a lie becomes a truth if one keeps saying it. The Opposition politicians use this postulate when multiplying the lie,” the Communist candidate Vladimir Turcan told a news conference on July 17. Vladimir Turcan said that in the post-electoral period after April 5 and during the current electoral campaign, the opponents of the Communists used 13 variants of lie to manipulate the voters. “The most often lies concern the rigging of the votes by the ruling party, the consequences of the April 6 and 7 events and the vandalizing of the election posters of the contenders,” Turcan said. Vladimir Turcan urged the election runners to use another postulate by a British politician, which says that in order to keep the social balance, the lies should be avoided. (Info-Prim)

“There is no reason to give a no-confidence vote to the present government — the Party of Communists (PCRM) — and endorse its opponents”, declare the representatives of the Socialist Party “Patria-Rodina”, following an analysis of the electoral offers in the ongoing parliamentary race. Patria-Rodina’s president Eduard Smirnov told Friday a news conference that the ’grandiose plans’ of the opposition concerning the development of the country were illusory. The pseudo-democrats do not admit the positive changes in the Moldovan economy in those 8 years of Communist government, which are not only statistically attested, but also recognized by international financial organizations, Smirnov added. The representatives of the Socialist Party “Patria-Rodina”, which had stated its intention to endorse the Communists since the beginning of the race, concluded the conference by saying: “today nothing is more important than to preserve political stability, which is guaranteed by the PCRM alone”. (Info-Prim)

The Chisinau residents that Friday crossed the Great National Assembly Square in the center of the city could see the symbolic contour of the victims of the April 7 events traced by the European Action Movement (MAE). The flashmob meeting was held under the slogan “You Could Have Been a Victim on April 7 Too!”. This way, the members of the MAE protested against the Moldovan Communist regime’s crimes that remained unpunished. “On April 7, the Communists had been here! They left death, grieving families and sadness behind. They left the blood of innocent persons behind,” the MAE says in a communiqué. The party says that three persons died then, while hundreds of children were beaten cruelly by the mercenaries sent by the PCRM to end the democratic anticommunist protests. The MAE tries to sensitize the Moldovan people and make them think about the victims of the PCRM and the mournful families before casting their vote on July 29. (Info-Prim)

The voters in 11 settlements will have the possibility of informing themselves about the programs of the election runners during the campaign “Vote Consciously — Vote Freely!” launched by Promo-LEX Association. The NGO calls upon the parties to delegate representatives to organize public debates with the voters. Usually, the representatives of the central staff do not efficiently coordinate the activities with the local organizations or refuse to communicate details about their field teams. This leads to lack of communication, confusion and even irresponsibility, Promo-LEX says in a communiqué. Public debates will take place in Straseni, Dubasari, Anenii Noi, Ialoveni, Basarabeasca, Glodeni, Rascani, Falesti, Drochia, Sangerei and Cimislia from 17 to 26 July, before the early legislative elections. They will be moderated by independent experts. (Info-Prim)

The Administration Board of the “April 2009” Fund — an initiative launched by the PLDM to support the victims of the April violence — announced its intention to erect a monument to victims of torture in Chisinau. The authors asked the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) to allot a plot of land on which to build the monument. The monument will represent homage and moral compensation to the persons that were subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by the Communist regime, the PLDM president Vlad Filat said at a news conference on Friday. The monument will be built with money allocated from the “April 2009” Fund, which consists of voluntary donations. (Info-Prim)

Anybody who knows information about preparations for electoral frauds but does not denounce them to competent organs or Central Electoral Commission becomes an accomplice of these actions. CEC secretary Iurie Ciocan delivered this statement on Friday, replying to fears of PNL leader Vitalia Pavlicenco concerning a possible election fraud. (Moldpres)

Local deputies from the “Moldova Noastra (Our Moldova)” Alliance (AMN) said that the Communist authorities left them without money and they had to solve problems themselves. On Friday, Chairman of the Causeni raion Ion Ciontoloi said that the local administration succeeded in having paid salaries to teachers from their own financial resources. Ciontoloi confirmed that after the elections of April 5 the local authorities checked the election slates, and revealed forgeries, in particular, somebody voted for his daughter, who was in Romania. In his words, no time was left for the Primars to check the election slates and they have to trust the slates, made up by the Ministry of Information Development. Chairman of the Straseni rayon Ion Robu confirmed his colleague’s statement and remarked that that the arrived election slates are classified and the rayon Chairmen have no access to them. (Infotag)

The Liberal Party (PL) claims that the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) utilises the public company “Teleradio-Moldova” for propagandistic and electoral purposes. PL leader Mihai Ghimpu told a news conference on Friday that “Teleradio-Moldova” keeps presenting the events in the light of government’s interests, though it is funded by taxpayers. According to Ghimpu, crisis, unemployment, other problems do not exist for the company, but instead, all relating to assaults on Romania or other topics of this kind are widely released. PL urges PCRM to change its attitude towards the media in general and “Teleradio-Moldova” in particular. “The PL statements on censorship and governmental control on the public broadcaster are common to this party, like after the April 7 events — groundless insinuations, no evidence.” This way, the “Teleradio-Moldova” administration replied to the PL accusations. (Infotag/Moldpres)

European Parliament (EP) member Marian Jean Marinescu announced in Craiova on Friday that he will be part of the EP delegation which will arrive in Moldova after two weeks to monitor the parliamentary elections. European representatives will supervise the elections to the Moldovan Parliament. The Romanian EP member noted that EP representatives will also check the way the electoral campaign was held. (realitatea.net)