CEC arranges rerun elections in Buteni with candidate Anatol Postolache excluded

The Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 27 decided to rerun elections in Buteni village, Hancesti distinct, on December 16. But the candidate Anatol Postolache will not run in elections. The decision aroused the dissatisfaction of dozens of villagers and of a number of CEC members. The issue was included in the agenda because an earlier CEC decision that envisaged the holding of new elections on the same date was cancelled by the court. The Commission’s secretary Iurie Ciocan suggested organizing rerun elections by excluding Postolache from the ballot papers in line with a court decision of June 30. The proposal was not accepted by all the members, while Nicolae Garbu proposed an alternative project to allow all the candidates to take part in the poll. Five of the nine CEC members voted in favour of Ciocan’s project. Three members voted against and one abstained. Garbu said that the decision violate the rights of the Buteni residents and left the meeting hall in protest. Several dozens of villagers attending the meeting protested noisily, saying that the decision was illegal and made by order. They warned they will hinder the holding of the poll on December 16. Also on November 27, CEC decided to resume the organization of the first meeting for the councillors of Buteni Village Council elected on June 3, within five days. On October 16, CEC decided to hold new elections for local councillors because these did not manage to come together for a meeting. But the court cancelled this decision too. The problems in Buteni village appeared after the court invalidated the results of the elections for mayor, according to which the candidate Anatol Postolache scored a comfortable win. Postolache was accused of violating the Electoral Code. CEC announced rerun elections for July 1, but the election outcome was against invalidated. CEC arranged rerun elections in Buteni for October 14, but the villagers refused to vote because Postolache was excluded from the electoral race.