A group of residents from the Cosnita commune, Dubasari district, attempted to initiate a local referendum to recall the mayor again, but the Central Electoral Commission rejected the registration request of the initiative group. The institution found that no evidence was presented to confirm the existence of legal grounds for triggering the referendum. The request comes after last month a consultative referendum on the exploitation of mineral resources took place in the locality, reports IPN.

According to the CEC, the members of the initiative group have eliminated the procedural nonconformities initially identified and have provided additional clarifications, including the viewpoint of the commune’s mayor. Upon reviewing the file, the Commission concluded that the arguments put forward are not supported by sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of the mayor’s revocation procedure.

The Commission notes that according to the Electoral Code, the dismissal of a mayor through a referendum can only be initiated if he does not respect the interests of the community, does not properly exercise his duties, or violates moral and ethical norms, and these facts are confirmed in the manner provided by law.

Under these circumstances, the CEC has rejected both the request for registration of the initiative group, as well as the application for issuing identification cards for its members and the subscription lists.

In mid-July, the CEC rejected a first application for registration of the initiative group to organize the referendum, arguing that the procedural conditions provided for by the Electoral Code were not respected.

At the end of June, a consultative referendum was held in the commune of Cosnita, initiated by the Local Council, in which over 95% of the participants voted against changing the destination of some agricultural lands outside the built-up area for the exploitation of mineral resources.