“Moldova’s February 24 parliamentary elections are a step forward in terms of electoral administration and public trust in the electoral process,” said former Congressman and International Republican Institute (IRI) Board Member Jim Kolbe, in releasing IRI’s preliminary report today, IPN reports.
IRI congratulates the Central Election Commission of Moldova (CEC) for a well-organized and well-run voting process. IRI observers noted that election workers at the precinct level (PEC) conducted themselves in a professional manner and that PEC leadership was well versed in electoral procedures. IRI also commends election commissions for the significant number of women in PEC leadership positions. The registry check used to verify voter identity and as a safeguard against multiple voting is a significant improvement to the credibility of Moldova’s elections. The voter registry appeared to be generally accurate and did not detract from the efficient administration of the electoral process.
Due to a change in law, campaigning was for the first time allowed on election day. Although this created the possibility for confusion, IRI’s observers reported a calm environment outside virtually all polling stations visited. IRI observers did not witness election day intimidation of voters. Of the 223 polling stations visited by IRI’s observers, IRI noted that nearly 66 percent were not accessible to persons with disabilities.
“Moldova’s new, mixed system of elections presented a potential challenge to voters in terms of which candidates they were voting for. However, Moldovans met the challenge which is reflected in the low number of voided ballots,” said IRI’s Director of Eurasia Stephen Nix.
IRI observers noted the participation of large numbers of Transnistrian voters at certain polling stations, which at times resulted in long lines.
IRI urges Moldova’s electoral authorities to make more polling stations accessible in areas frequented by these voters and to clearly inform Transnistrian voters of their designated polling sites. The large number of polling stations that were not accessible to persons with disabilities represents a challenge to full civic participation in the electoral process, IRI urges local authorities to make a concerted effort to address this problem in future elections.
IRI recommends that political parties and candidates make greater use of opportunities to present platforms and address critical policy issues, including through more active participation in candidate debates. In order to avoid inadvertent errors in vote tabulation due to fatigue, IRI recommends that the CEC streamline sorting, counting and verification procedures at the PEC level.
IRI Election Observation Mission IRI’s report is based on the observations of 46 election day observers. The observers visited 223 polling stations located in 101 villages, towns and cities. IRI’s delegation visited 43 of 48 single-mandate districts across Moldova.
