Electoral process in first half of day marked by irregularities
The voting process in the first half of the day was conducted with violations, says Promo-LEX Association, which mandated 270 observers to monitor the elections in seven electoral districts.
Promo-LEX, which usually monitors Moldova’s Transnistrian region, in the current elections also supervises the electoral process in a number of districts located on the right bank of the Nistru, where polling places are traditionally set up for Transnistrian voters, namely Floresti, Rezina, Dubasari, Anenii Noi, Causeni, and Stefan Voda, Info-Prim Neo reports.
According to a preliminary report made public by Promo-LEX, the authorities did not take the necessary steps to ensure the protection of the polling places and the safety of the voters and the members of electoral offices. The voters are intimidated by the presence of police officers. The procedure for sealing ballot boxes, especially mobile boxes, is not precisely observed. Election posters are still present in some of the settlements.
According to Ion Guzun, jurist with Promo-LEX, two police officers were sitting on a chair at the entrance to the polling station in Berezchi village of Anenii Noi district. One member of the electoral office of the polling place in Chirilovca village of Floresti district was under the influence when the station opened.
The Promo-LEX observers said they discovered that one person asked for the mobile ballot box in his name for several other persons. Some polling places have an insufficient number of ballots. Representatives of polling stations in the Transnistrian region do not put the “29.07.09 Alegeri” stamp in the papers that accompany the identity cards.
“The number of ballots allotted to Lalova village of Rezina district is by six units lower than the number of persons included in the electoral rolls, of those distributed to Slobozia-Horodiste village of Rezina district is by three units lower, while of those allocated to Roscana village of Rezina district is by 18 units lower,” Promo-Lex says in its report.
The monitoring of the July 29 early legislative elections in seven electoral districts is a project implemented by Promo-LEX Association as part of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections – Coalition 2009.