The legal framework was substantially reformed and the drafting of the new law followed an inclusive and transparent process, which is in line with ENEMO’s long-standing recommendations. Elections are competitive. A high number of candidates are running for election and they are generally being managed efficiently and transparently. However, widespread allegations of illegal and shadow funding which unduly influence the voters raise significant concerns about the integrity of the elections, said Dritan Taulla, Head of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) for the 2023 Local Elections in Moldova, stated in a news conference held at IPN to present the Interim Report.

ENEMO has accredited four Core Team members based in Chisinau and four Long Term Observers deployed in two teams, one based in Balti and one based in Comrat, and they are covering respectively the north and the south of the country. The missions is monitoring the overall political and electoral environment, the rights to elect and stand for election, the conduct of election management bodies, campaigning, gender representation, electoral dispute resolutions and other crucial aspects of the process.

“The electoral law was further amended twice following decisions from the Constitutional Court, with the last amendment occurring on October 4. Amending the Electoral Code one month ahead of election day and two days prior to the deadline for candidates registration is at odds with international good practice and could have potentially limited the right to stand for election,” said Nino Rizhamadze, election and legal analyst of ENEMO’s International Election Observation Mission.

“The existing legal framework provides a sound basis for the conduct of elections in line with the international standards and commitments. The implementation of the positive amendments to the Electoral Code remains to be observed over the following period,” noted Nino Rizhamadze. The Central Election Commission operates in an open, transparent and efficient manner, but it is simultaneously coping with tight deadlines and a shortage of human resources.

The Mission’s political analyst Ales Jakubec said that a high number of candidates are standing for election, making the elections overall competitive. “The candidate registration period overlaps with the start of the campaign and electoral management bodies had seven days to examine the files. This provision limits equal opportunities among candidates and does not take into account possible complaints and appeals, which leads to some candidates being registered long after the others have already started campaigning. Several parties raised concerns about attempts to bribe and event pressure their candidates to run on behalf of other political parties,” stated Ales Jakubec.

He noted that the Mission was informed of widespread allegations of vote buying, pressure on employees and misuse of administrative resources.  

“The country’s media regulatory framework, as outlined in the Electoral Code, seeks to ensure fair and transparent coverage during election campaigns. But deficiencies in the secondary legislation are apparent, particularity regarding monitoring of online platforms, media ownership and the absence of mechanisms to address misinformation from online/print outlets,” said Maja Milikic, media analyst of the Mission.

The media analyst also said that recent trends indicate the transition in political information consumption, with online media and social networks eclipsing traditional broadcast media. The state of emergency triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, coupled with the measures from the Audiovisual Council, has intensified scrutiny on disinformation and hate speech, simultaneously weakening media entities disseminating propaganda content originating from Russia. Despite efforts to combat misinformation, challenges persist, notably on platforms, like Telegram and TikTok, where the spread of fake news, political statements and pro-Kremlin narratives pose a significant concern”.

The Interim Report presented today is based on ENEMO findings at national levels and in regions observed during October 1-27, 2023. The Mission will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions after election day and will remain in the country to follow the second round in the municipalities in which no mayor will obtain a majority of voters in the first round of voting.

ENEMO’s IEOM for the 2023 Local Elections in Moldova is financially supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Soros Foundation Moldova. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of ENEMO and does not necessarily represent the position of the donors.