The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (CALC) expresses its concern about the extent of foreign interference in the electoral process, highlighted as a result of the presidential election and the constitutional referendum of October 20 in the Republic of Moldova. According to the Coalition, the election results show an alarming level of influence of external sources, which undermine the integrity of the electoral process, IPN reports.

A worrying indicator is the significant discrepancy between the results of opinion polls, which are usually a relatively accurate forecasting tool, and the final results of the election and referendum. These differences attest to a distortion of the will of the electorate under the influence of illicit financial resources and corruption actions. The election results no longer reflect the real will of the citizens, but show the effect of external manipulations and frauds, the Coalition said.

CALC believes that foreign interference and the massive use of illegal resources have had a decisive impact in distorting the results of the October 20 election and referendum. It is therefore essential that law enforcement agencies step up their efforts to prevent the repetition of these practices. At the same time, civil society, in partnership with international actors, must continue its active role in monitoring electoral processes and maintaining their integrity.

The Coalition strongly calls on the competent authorities to complete the investigations and impose appropriate penalties on all those involved in these illegal actions in order to restore citizens’ confidence in the electoral process and democracy in the Republic of Moldova.