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The Constitutional Court dismissed the complaint without examining the merits of a notification filed by some PCRM MPs, who challenged the new provisions of the Electoral Code on how the redistribution of votes earned by competitors who have not crossed the threshold. According to the Court, the notification tackles the issues of opportunity and not constitutionality, while the competence of establishing the electoral system belongs exclusively to the Parliament. The Constitutional Court has also invoked its earlier decisions on these issues, since 1998. Thus, the new egalitarian formula for distributing the mandates resulting from votes cast for competitors who have not passed the threshold (generically named “Robin Hood” formula), remains valid and enforceable.

The Constitutional Court decided to dismiss the notification made by PL MPs on the constitutionality of the Electoral Code’ provisions regarding the need to obtain voting certificates and to justify the domicile or residence in order to participate in elections. The Court didn’t examine the merits of the notification for the reason of finding procedural deficiencies, lack of reasoning and substantiation of the notification’s object and requirements. Also, MPs were suggested to take into account the possible impact of the Constitutional Court decisions on electoral procedures, the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters adopted by the Venice Commission.

By another decision, Constitutional Court dismissed the notification of Victor Stepaniuc MPs, who challenged the constitutionality of the National Liberal Party (PNL).The Court found that notification on the constitutionality of a party may be signed by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Speaker of Parliament, Minister of Justice, the Prosecutor General or by a Governmental decision, and an MP can not notify the Court in such matters.

Romanian President Traian Basescu stated that if Moldova wants to have a European road, then to keep the present coalition in power is “a key factor”. At the same time, Basescu believes that Moldova should be viewed in the package with the Western Balkan countries in the process of European integration, this theory being a “credible” one.

Ex-presidents of Moldova Petru Lucinschi and Mircea Snegur urge the voters of older generation to vote for those who will ensure a good future for youth. Petru Lucinschi believes that Government is the one who worked the most during the year, since the democratic power was instituted, and calls on voters to be more lenient to the European Integration Alliance. Mircea Snegur thinks that most important thing that voters need to do is to get out and vote, and the electoral competitors should manifest themselves calmly and wise. On the other hand, Snegur says the democratic forces should not continue to attack each other. (source: Infotag, RFE/RL)

The Chisinau Centre Court has ruled to ban broadcasting some advertising videos of PCRM, which had been challenged by the Democratic Party of Moldova. The case got to the Centre Court after the Supreme Court held that the issue of damaging the honor and dignity of persons appearing in those electoral videos fails under the competence of the court of common law and is not subject to general rules of electoral disputes.

National Liberal Party has issued a press release referring to information about the possibility of applying a method of falsifying the votes on November 28, 2010 by using false documents. Liberals claim that because students have the right to vote also in places where they study, they may require temporary ID form no.9, free version which does not contain protecting signs and may be photocopied, and the copies may be subsequently used by students to vote at different polling stations, in case if they will be paid by certain parties. (source: PNL)

The Institute of History, State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM) expresses its gratitude to the leader of the Humanist Party of Moldova (PUM), Valeriu Pasat, for the gesture of forgiving the debts for wages, worth about 50,000 lei, gained while in illegal detention. (source: ASM Media Centre)

PUM declares in the new parliament it will initiate the adoption of the law on “total amnesty”, because the majority of Moldovan citizens sentenced to prison, are unlawfully deprived of liberty. To do this, it will be propose to create a state commission that will review all criminal cases. PUM Chairman, Valeriu Pasat stated that amnesty is necessary to release from prisons innocent people and “to free the jail cells where the true criminals and corrupt officials should stay”. Pasat invokes that Government didn’t facilitate the organization of his electoral meeting in penitentiary institutions, which has “thousands of innocent people, condemned by the communist regime”. (source: PUM)

Moldovan alpinist Andrei Carpenco, who climbed the Mount Everest in 2009, supports the values and principles of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and will participate in the elections of November 28 on its list. At a press conference, the PSD candidate mentioned that he is party member for several years, and during this electoral campaign the current party leadership has proposed him to run for MP chair, occupying the 10th place on the party list. Carpenco likes the electoral program and that PSD does not have “compromised people or those who migrate from one party to another”, stating that 15 federations of extreme sports in Moldova support him in the campaign. (source: Infotag)

Liberal Party (PL) announced that in Oxentea, Dubasari dist., an electoral billboard was stolen from the House of Social Service on the night from November of 15 to 16. During the same period a PL billboard was regularly vandalized in Ustia, and the police investigations have not results. The case of Oxentea is the 6th case of theft or vandalism of PL electoral billboards since the beginning of the campaign. (source: PL)

According to a press release issued by Publika TV, PCRM leader Vladimir Voronin will not be invited to this channel any more and he will not be able intervene telephonically in direct, because of outrageous language used in Fabrika program on November 17. The embargo does not extend over the other PCRM members and sympathizers, who may participate in debates and other programs. (source: Publika TV)

European Action Movement (MAE) has issued a press release declaring that the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova has unleashed an unprecedented media attack following the recent decisions of the party’s Extraordinary Congress to ban communist symbols and all forms of collaboration with communists. MAE alleges that through NIT TV station PCRM distributes false news about the MAE’ withdrawal from the electoral race for the benefit of another political party. Due to dissemination of false information and manipulation of public opinion, NIT will be sued. (source: MAE)