ACUM criticizes authorities for not modifying legislation to set up additional polling places abroad

The Moldovan communities demand that the authorities facilitate the participation of migrants in decision making by adopting a law that would allow voting at mobile ballot boxes and by mail, the secretary of the Association of United Moldova Communities (ACUM), Sergiu Raileanu told a news conference in Chisinau on March 13, Info-Prim Neo reports. “It’s a pity that the state institutions did not try to amend the legislation so that the emigrants could exercise their right to vote in a simpler way. We are ready to cooperate with all the political forces that support us, regardless of their political color, in hope that in the future they will take attitude and will not ignore the role of the emigrants, the ACUM secretary said. According to an ACUM statement adopted at the Association’s congress in Rome on March 7-8, the emigrants demand ensuring their right to travel to the European Union visa-free, reducing the costs of travel documents, decreasing consular fees and providing more opportunities of investing the incomes earned aboard into the Moldovan economy. “We will also seek the creation of a ministry that would deal with the problems of migrants and their children that remained at home and that a representative of ACUM is accepted in the Parliament of Moldova with an unlimited right of expression,” said the Association’s representative Stefan Florea. According to him, most of the Moldovan emigrants say they are ready to return home if the authorities create decent living conditions in the motherland. The First Congress to Constitute the Federative Comunison (Parliament) of the Moldovan Communities was held on March 7 and 8. About 30 leaders representing Moldovans and Moldova abroad took part in the congress. According to the information available on the ACUMs’ website (www.diasporamoldovei.org), the Association was founded in the UK in August 2006 as international nongovernmental organization that aims to promote and develop the Moldovan communities from everywhere. Presently, the Association coordinates three Support Centers of the communities in London, Brussels and Bucharest. It has legal offices in over 12 states and partners on all the continents. Through the Comunison, it will support projects to unite the communities in ACUM groups, associations and local offices in all the countries.