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Audiovisual Coordinating Council (CCA) decided to apply sanctions for media coverage of the constitutional referendum campaign of September 5. Thus, the broadcasters Publika TV and Moldova 1 have been warned for urging citizens to participate in referendum on September 5. CCA considered that by their appeals, these broadcasters have harmed the interests of some participants in the referendum who advocated a boycott of the plebiscite and non-participation of the citizens in the plebiscite. CCA decisions were adopted upon appeals received from PCRM and PSD. Representatives of those two TV channels, as well as CEC representatives, the media experts and experts in electoral matters considered this CCA decision as abusive and illegal, saying that the notions of “electoral campaigning” and “voters’ and civic education” were confused.

Within its meeting on September 15 CCA also sanctioned the private TV channel NIT, which has committed 12 violations during the media coverage of the campaign for the constitutional referendum of September 5 by presenting biased views and lacking of an alternative source. The sanction was applied according to the Electoral Code as a result of a monitoring report heard by CCA.

Within a press conference, Liliana Palihovici, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Protection, Health and Family, presented to the public opinion a legislative initiative regarding the involvement of women in political life. Through this initiative, the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) proposes to amend the Electoral Code to ensure a wider representation of women in political life, by setting a binding minimum of 30 percent for the presence of women candidates on party lists running in all kinds of elections. According to the authors, this amendment will contribute to enhancing the level of women’s representation in Parliament and local councils, will contribute to ensure full functionality of democratic institutions in terms of human rights. The argument put forward is the situation in the EU countries: Sweden has 47% women MPs, Finland — 40%, Belgium — 38%, Denmark — 37%, etc. According to statistics, women are 51.9% of Moldova’s population, but their representation in Parliament is far below that level. (PLDM press release)