The results of the parliamentary elections that were held in Moldova on February 24 and the way in which they were conducted do not present a democratic improvement of the situation in the country. The voter turnout was low, voting took place with violations and the citizens from the diaspora weren’t treated correctly. The election results made the formation of a Government difficult, especially because some of the parties announced they will not cooperate with other parties. Snap elections could thus take place in four-six months. These are some of the conclusions of the election observation mission to Moldova that were discussed by the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. In this connection, some of the MEPs said that the suspension of the budget support should be maintained and that the Association Agreement is in danger. Others said it is too early to draw particular conclusions and they need to observe the developments, IPN reports.

MEP Rebecca Harms, who headed the observation mission, said some of the Moldovans in the electoral process didn’t understand what to do with the four ballots they received. She criticized the Moldovan authorities’ attitude to the Moldovans from outside the country, who could not vote with the identity card and those from the diaspora who had expired passports and could not vote with these. The Central Election Commission informed about this impossibility too late, making the obtaining of new passports challenging. The observers were shocked at the buses that transported voters from the Transnistrian region to polling stations in an organized way and had information that some of the voters were remunerated.

Rebecca Harms noted the good news is that both the European Parliament’s delegation and the international partners described the elections as competitive. “We have the impression that most of the aspects of the elections were managed professionally and transparently. The polling stations were managed well and the women’s representation quota of 40% was respected, but some of the women were placed down on the lists.” According to her, the election outcome makes the formation of a Government difficult.

Romanian MEP Cristian Preda said the results and the way in which the elections were held do not present a democratic improvement of the situation in the country. This process confirms the conclusions that were already formulated by the European Parliament, when the Venice Commission criticizes the new electoral system that prevents the people from expressing themselves freely and supports the oligarchs. “The vote in Transnistria serves the oligarchs from both sides, the government in Tiraspol and the government controlled by Vlad Plahotniuc. I’m afraid the same voters will be used in the elections in my country as they have Romanian passports. The vote in Transnistria makes the credibility of these elections questionable.” Cristian Preda noted the European Parliament should not only maintain the suspension of the budget support for Moldova, but should also introduce penalties for the oligarchs responsible for corruption in Moldova, who fully control the government.

MEP Andi Cristea congratulated the Moldovan government on the correct conduct of the elections. “Our expectations refer to the implementation of the Association Agreement and a solid pro-European majority is needed for the purpose.” Particular pro-European parties could put the general interest at the forefront. The MEP wondered if the EU will be an operator in the relations with Chisinau and Kiev in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Ukraine and if the EU is ready to act or will take a break? “I think we should be proactive and assume the consequences,” he stated.

MEP Petras Auštrevičius noted the general picture of the elections held in Moldova on February 24 is neither black, nor white. The electoral process was not the best and problems persist in the formation of Parliament. The editing of the final OSCE report could last for another seven weeks and they should not carry out a premature assessment of the consequences of the elections and the relations with Moldova. Meanwhile, the way in which Moldova solves the complaints related to elections will be a decisive factor.

MEP Joachim Zeller said the voter turnout was low, under 50%, but the opposition managed to win 26 seats of MP of the total 101 and this is an advantage. Among the violations were the organized transportation of Russian-speakers to polling stations and these were paid by 100 lei for their votes. Snap elections are possible. “In general, we consider it is very hard to continue the Association Agreement with Moldova, but we should see how things develop and offer our support to the democratic opposition,” stated Joachim Zeller.

MEP Miroslav Poche said the elections were free and fair, even if the election campaign was marked by a series of problems. A pro-Russia party won the most votes in elections, even if the obtained result was worse than the expected one, despite the massive propaganda. It’s a pity that the pro-European parties refuse to form a coalition. Several new faces entered the political arena of Moldova after the elections. The election campaign wasn’t oriented geopolitically, but he saw an influence of Turkey and Turkish investments where he observed the elections.

In its last resolution on Moldova, the European Parliament said any decision related to the macro-financial assistance should be taken only after the parliamentary elections, if these are held in conditions recognized by the international organizations, and the financing for all the budget support programs should be stopped until significant progress is made in meeting the democratic standards.