CIVIL COALITION MAINTAINS GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN GAGAUZIA ABOUNDED IN VIOLATIONS

The RM Civil Coalition for Free and Fair Elections expressed concern about “the degradation of the electoral process and the disregard for basic legal principles for ensuring the holding of free and fair elections during the election of the Bashkan [governor] of the southern Moldovan autonomous region of Gagauzia.”

The Coalition stood up with such a statement only today i.e. almost 2 weeks after the second round of the elections.

According to the statement authors, the election was held “with numerous violations of the electoral rights of citizens, electoral competitors and obligations prescribed for the activities of the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia, as well as the recommendations of the Republic of Moldova’s Central Election Commission (CEC).

The Coalition also expressed regret that “the majority of electoral contestants, who reported numerous violations of legal norms during the election campaign, preferred to refrain from law-envisaged, evidence-based appeals against violations, guided by narrow political interests to the detriment of the principles of the rule of law, the uniform application of the standards of a free and fair electoral process.

In order to prevent future violations, the Coalition proposes to the Moldovan authorities “to supplement Section V of the Electoral Code with a norm on the supremacy of the provisions of the national electoral legislation over the provisions of the regional legislation in regard to the electoral rights of citizens and electoral competitors, financing of electoral campaigns and preventing the involvement of foreign citizens in the electoral process”.