The gubernatorial elections in Gagauzia were held improperly and without transparency because of the lack of professionalism of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Gagauzia. The statement was made by Mihai Sircheli, chairman of the Gagauzia-based NGO Pilirim-Demo. “The CEC of Gagauzia lacked transparency. The decisions were not brought to the public. The commission dismissed the candidates’ complaints and did not monitor the campaign funding”, Mihai Sircheli told a press conference on Thursday. Sircheli says that the local CEC lacked the material and human resources to organize fair elections. The commission simply registered candidates and ballot papers, ignoring its other obligations such as electoral civic education. “The CEC was not prepared because it assembles only to organize elections and dissolves itself right after”, Mihai Sircheli mentioned. The NGO leader added that local mass media showed bias in covering the campaign and there was an uneven electoral publicity, and the Broadcasting Coordination Council failed to remark those infringements. Pilirim-Demo insists that the authorities should develop clear procedures and duties for the CEC. It would also need an official website. According to Sircheli, electoral bodies should use mass media to educate the voters and should undertake measures so that the local press covered the events impartially and correctly. The gubernatorial elections in Gagauzia took place in 2 rounds, on December 12 and 26, 2010.