SOCIALISTS URGE GOVERNMENT TO OPEN OVER 200 POLLING STATIONS ABROAD

The Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) has called the Government to open more than 200 polling stations in foreign countries.

Maxim Lebedinschi, Presidential Legal Adviser and the President’s Representative at the Constitutional Court, stated at a news conference on Monday that the authorities must proceed from the real number of citizens staying outside the republic and must guarantee each of them the right to elect and be elected. That’s why it is necessary to open minimum 100 polling stations in the single-member constituency “East” [Russia, CIS countries and whole Asia], in the constituency “West” [whole Europe west of Moldova], and 30 stations in the USA/Canada constituency.

PSRM Secretary for Ideology Ion Ceban, a candidate for parliament, reminded that at the previous parliamentary election held in 2014 the Government opened only 99 polling stations for dozens of foreign countries where Moldovans happen to stay.

“Of that number of polling areas, only 8 were organized in Russia where nearly two-thirds of all Moldovan gastarbeiters [i.e. nearly 400 thousand citizens] stay. May I remind also that our compatriots working abroad are a very serious source of investment in the republic’s economy? They remit home nearly a billion U.S. dollars a year thus helping our authorities to hold up their pants. That’s why the State must ensure an equal access to voting for the breadwinners”, said Ion Ceban.

The Socialists reminded that the Government must take an official decision on opening polling stations in foreign countries by no later than January 19 and submit it to the Central Election Commission, which, in its turn, must take (by not later than January 20) a decision on forming overseas stations.

Maxim Lebedinschi warned that if the Government or CEC refuse to observe the principle of the proportional representation of citizens, the PSRM will reserve the right to challenge their decisions in the court. And Ion Ceban stressed that a failure to observe the proportionality principle may cast doubt on the election recognition question.