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Within its meeting on August 26 the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) adopted a decision allowing Moldova citizens with the right to vote to participate in voting during the republican constitutional referendum of September 5, 2010, by using IDs with expired validity. CEC justifies its decision by the experience of previous elections and high number of voters with expired IDs. It’s worthwhile to note that on August 26, the PLDM Chairman Vladimir Filat has submitted a note to CEC on the same issue, but the Commission did not present its opinion on that.

Following the requests received from lower electoral bodies, the CEC has issued additional 15,000 voting certificates that will be distributed to electoral bureaus of polling stations. Under electoral law, those who will not be in locality of their domicile or residence on Election Day may request a voting certificate from the bureau of polling station, which allows voters to vote in any polling station throughout the country.

CEC has accredited national and international observers to monitor the republican constitutional referendum of September 5, 2010, representing: Representation “International Foundation for Electoral Systems” (IFES); United Nations Development Program (UNDP); Turkish Embassy in Moldova; OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR); East European Foundation of Moldova; EU Delegation in the Republic of Moldova; Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS member states; Observer missions of the Community of Independent States (CIS); US Embassy in Moldova; Association “Promo-LEX” as national observers in polling stations established outside of Moldova; Children and Youth public association “Mostenitorii” (“Heirs”).

Moldovan authorities will benefit of about one million lei for organizing the constitutional referendum of September 5, 2010, offered by EU and Council of Europe through the “Democratic Assistance Program for Moldova”. The assistance was provided following the demand of Moldovan Government to cover the needs for holding the referendum, including the needs for organizing and equipping the polling stations abroad. Through this funding the new polling stations established abroad will be supported, and the main assistance shall be directed for deploying the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and for purchasing equipment and materials necessary to organize the referendum abroad.

Moldovan Ambassador in Romania, Iurie Renita, has clarified during an interview that for the purpose of September 5 referendum the polling stations will be opened in Timisoara, Galati, Cluj and Iasi. In Iasi the polling station will be opened within the Consulate, which is still under construction and is not yet officially inaugurated. The Ambassador added that a significant increase in the number of polling stations is planned for the parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in November, in order to offer the possibility to vote to students enrolled in Romanian educational institutions and which start the sdudies after September 5. (NewsIn)