The Central Election Commission (CEC) needs to specify the procedure for registering private individuals in the referendum. Such a request was made by the Chisinau District Electoral Council, which for now hasn’t responded Dorin Chirtoaca’s request to register him as a participant in the November 19 plebiscite where the voters will be asked if they want Chirtoaca to be removed from the mayoralty, IPN reports.

Chisinau District Electoral Council deputy head Vitalie Miron said the national legislation on the local referendums does not regulate the participation in the plebiscite. Therefore, the CEC, which is superior to the District Electoral Council, is to shed light.

Vitalie Miron explained that the law does not ban, but also does not envision the possibility of registering a person as a participant in the referendum. “We thus request the Central Election Commission to pronounce on this. If we accept to register a person, initiative groups could also apply to be registered as participants in the referendum,” he stated, noting that an earlier CEC decision says two categories of subjects can take part in a referendum – political parties and sociopolitical organizations.

The decision to register or not Dorin Chirtoaca as a participant in the referendum hasn’t been approved and the Chisinau District Electoral Council will ask the CEC to immediately pronounce in an extraordinary meeting.

Ion Cebanu, who was empowered to represent Dorin Chirtoaca in the electoral bodies and submit the necessary documents for registration, told the journalists that the Election Code says it clearly that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, political parties, electoral blocs and others can take part in a referendum. It would be logical if the suspended mayor of Chisinau is allowed to talk to the people, to take part in debates, but he wasn’t registered and thus cannot. The Socialists have already launched their election campaign. Thus, equal conditions are not ensured.

Ion Cebanu noted that the court classed Dorin Chirtoaca as an interested party in the referendum and accused the Chisinau District Electoral Council of having a tendentious attitude as this didn’t allow Chirtoaca to state his viewpoint.