MOLDOVAN EMBASSY CONFIRMS OPENING OF POLLING STATIONS IN BAPTIST CHURCHES IN USA

The US Embassy to Moldova confirmed that two thirds of polling stations in the US will be opened in Baptist churches. According to the press release, such a decision was taken due to financial reasons.

"The reason why 8 of 12 polling stations in the US will be opened near churches, religious centers and places of residence of Baptist community members - people from Moldova - is that in most cases church communities from the US are ready to provide these places for free. Besides, these places meet requirements for conducting uninterrupted election process", the Embassy press release says.

According to explanations, both the number and the location of polling stations in the US were established on the basis of the statistics of Moldovans' participation in previous elections in 2014 and 2016, the database of the Embassy consulate service, the data of voters' preliminary registration and technical possibilities of the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

At the same time, the embassy maintains it received several reports about attempts to threaten Diaspora members, who are helping in the organization process, as well as owners/heads of the identified polling stations.

"These actions may jeopardize the election process and restrict the possibilities for implementing the right to vote of Moldovan citizens who live in the US", says the press release of the Moldovan Embassy to the US.

Before, an investigation appeared in the media on the order of opening polling stations in the US. Journalists came to the conclusion that Moldovan authorities did everything so that elections in the single-member constituency #51 (US and Canada) to be won by Parliament Deputy Speaker Valeriu Ghiletchi. In particular, 8 of 12 polling stations in the US will be opened in Baptist churches. Ghiletchi is known as Baptist pastor, in 2009-2011 he had headed the Baptist Church of Moldova. He refuted the information about opening polling stations in Baptist churches in US, but the Moldovan diplomatic representation decided to explain the reasons of such a decision, thus confirming the media messages.