Chisinau, February 23 (Infotag). The National Students and Youth Union expressed discontent with the Central Electoral Commission’s decision by which students may obtain absentee ballots and thus vote at any polling station they wish.

Union Chairman Eugen Balan told a news conference in Infotag today that by February 22, only 250 persons – out of the total number of 77 thousand provincial students receiving education in Chisinau – had managed to receive the ballots.

Balan stressed, “If the ballot issuing work continues at the same snail’s pace, it will take 2 years to get all papers. The deadline for issuing expires in 5 days. Now we understand how expertly the artificial barrier was built to keep students away from the polls”.

“The Central Electoral Commission is merely fulfilling the ruling Communist Party’s order. The Communists are afraid of students because the MCP has not implemented even a single of its populist electoral pledges since 2001, when they swore they would ensure the youth with free higher education and increase scholarships”, said the Union Chairman.

He maintained that many Union members were being intimidated by Interior officers.

“We are demanding to ensure us with possibility to vote at polling stations at universities, to cease pressure on Union activists, and stop violations of our rights and freedoms, otherwise we shall reserve our right to civil disobedience actions”, Balan warned.

In his words, the Union may well join its efforts with the Federation of Moldova Students’ and Youth Organizations that is also insisting on voting at places of study, not at permanent residence.

This year, the students will enjoy 4 days of rest in succession – from March 5 to March 8, so an overwhelming majority of provincial students will definitely leave Chisinau for their native places to spend the holidays with their parents. This is one of the explanations why the students do not need the absentee ballots: they will simply go to the polls at home places on March 6.