The Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko said the parliamentary elections will be an extraordinarily important test for assessing the state of democracy in Moldova. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, the ambassador noted this is important because, as it is known, the memorandum on the provision of macro-financial assistance stipulates political preconditions and these were introduced exactly after international institutions‘ recommendations  concerning the replacement of the electoral system were ignored. Respectively, it is very important for the electoral process to fully respect the necessary standards, IPN reports.

“From the viewpoint of the European Union, the importance of the February parliamentary elections was underlined for a number of times. These should be held in a transparent way, including a credible one, so that we could ascertain that the elections were free, fair and credible. This means that all the standards related to the electoral process should be respected before the elections. The candidates should be able to register and take part in the electoral process in an equal manner, including have equal access to the mass media,” stated Peter Michalko.

According to him, the voting process should also be credible and the international partners and national observers should monitor the process. Is it important to respect the rules after the elections too and those who will be elected should be able to take up their duties as swiftly as possible.

The ambassador noted civil society also plays an important role in the electoral process. “As I personally also saw a number of elections in the Republic of Moldova, I know the citizens indeed feel this importance and feel the importance of the credibility of the electoral process, which is related to the observation ensured at the national level by participants who represent civil society,” he said.

Peter Michalko also said the existence of independent and free press is a priority for the European Union and other international partners. In the electoral process, the existing rules should be respected, including as regards the candidates’ equal access to the mass media. There are independent institutions that should monitor the observance of these rules.