Press release
APPEAL OF CIVIL SOCIETY FROM THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA IN REGARD TO EVENTUAL OPENING, IN THE EASTERN REGION OF MOLDOVA, OF VOTING STATIONS FOR ELECTIONS TO RUSSIAN FEDERATION STATE DUMA
Nongovernmental organizations signatories of this appeal, Considering the fact that the Republic of Moldova is a sovereign and independent state, unitary and indivisible, Having the state of law, civic peace, democracy, human dignity, rights and freedoms, free development of human personality, justice and political pluralism as supreme values, Being aware of the fact that people's will expressed through free elections, which take place periodically through universal, equal, direct, secret and free vote represents the base of state power and of the fundamental right of citizens of Russian Federation who are on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, to vote, Believing that Russian Federation takes in account international commitments assumed with ratification of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, European Convention for Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Convention on standards of democratic elections, electoral rights and freedoms in states members of Commonwealth of Independent States, and that the Republic of Moldova follows to take a firm position in case Russian Federation violates these commitments, agreed on the following: During the last weeks, in mass media were often the discussions about the possibility of opening 23 voting stations in Eastern districts for elections to Russian Federation State Duma.
Even more, these discussions were implicitly confirmed by member of Russian Federation CEC, Vasilii Volkov who specified that the list of 358 voting stations opened abroad Russian Federation is final and will not be modified and was increased due to opening of 36 additional voting stations in Abhazya, South Osetya and Transnistria. Even more, Russian Federation CEC published the list of additional voting stations (13) from Georgia (Abhazya and South Osetya) but avoided publishing information regarding opening of additional voting stations in Moldova (Transnistria).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration communicated the embassy of Russian Federation that, according to national legislation, opening of voting station for elections to State Duma is possible only within the Embassy of Russian Federation in Chisinau. The Moldovan party recommended the Russian party to retain from opening voting stations in settlements from Eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova which are not under the control of legal authorities, as well as from using mobile voting polls in Balti and Comrat. In case illegal voting stations are opened in Transnistrian region, the entire responsibility for consequences will belong to organizers, and the fact itself will be regarded by Moldovan authorities as interference with internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova. According to align.6 art.13 of Russian Federation Law “regarding election of deputies of State Duma and Federal Assembly” the voting stations for elections and counting of votes of voters who live or are outside the territory of Russian Federation, are organized by heads of Russian diplomatic and consular missions in the host country, at least 50 days before elections, and 5 days in extraordinary cases. At the meeting from November 7th 2007 of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova with Mr. Vitalii Treapitin, Minister councilor of Russian Embassy, the last one underlined that his country respects national legislation of the Republic of Moldova and will act according to position expressed by MFAEI. In this connection, we believe that activity of some voting stations on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, except the one from within Russian embassy, is illegal. The passing-by of RM MFAEI demarches regarding compliance to relevant legal rigors violates stipulations of international public law and bilateral agreements and treaties between Russian Federation and Republic of Moldova as independent, sovereign and integral state. Thus, the unilateral actions of Russian Federation ignore equality and mutual respect of states as subjects of international law and do not contribute to consolidation of constructive interstate relations. At the same time, the eventual activity of these voting stations will occur against stipulations of Russian Federation legislation, international standards and may serve as ground for non-recognition and canceling voting results at the mentioned voting stations, this way violating the right of citizens of Russian Federation to vote. Therefore, we solicit Russian Federation to respect the assumed commitments and take the following actions: To publish, on the web pages of central electoral committee and of the embassy in the Republic of Moldova, the information on how the elections from December 2nd 2007 will take place on the territory of Moldova; To retain from opening voting stations on the Eastern part of Moldova; To look for solutions towards effective exercise of electoral rights by all citizens of Russian Federation who are on the territory of Moldova; To inform the mentioned above persons about the possibility to vote during elections from December 2nd 2007. In case elections will take place at voting stations in eastern regions of Moldova we request the leadership of the Republic of Moldova to take position towards intended interference with the country's internal affairs, up to declaring the heads of Russian Embassy persons non-grata.
Signatories:
Promo Lex - Ion Manole
Juriştii pentru Drepturile Omului - Vitalie Nagacevschi Încredere - Oazu Nantoi
CReDO - Serghei Ostaf
ADER - Igor Volniţchi SIEDO - Maria Cioaric
ATAC - Artur Gurău Centrul Media pentru Tineri - Veronica Boboc
Expert-Group - Valeriu Prohniţchi
INRECO -Veaceslav Guţuţui TarnaRom -Marin Alla
Centrul de Investigatii Jurnalistice - Cornelia Cozonac
CNTM - Ion Guzun
Asociatia Fostilor Deportati si Detinuti Politici din Moldova- Valentina Sturza
Asociatia Clinicilor Juridice din Moldova -Olga Straton This document may be also signed by other representatives of society from Moldova.
