CEC has no money to cover expenses for organizing parliamentary elections in Chisinau: secretary

There are no additional sources in the budget of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to cover the expenses for organizing the parliamentary elections of April 5 in Chisinau, instead of the local public administration, CEC secretary Iurie Ciocan told the press on Tuesday, February 10, after meeting with the civil servants of the City Hall. Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca said a day earlier that he would ask the CEC to intervene, as many accounts of the local subdivisions have been put under distraint and transfers cannot be operated for the works that already had to start, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The electoral code provides for the express responsibility of the local public administration in preparing the venues,” Iurie Ciocan stated. “We (CEC, e.n.) see all that happens and we are concerned about this situation,” CEC secretary added. But he showed confidence that the ballot will not be endangered. “I see that all the involved people are responsible and make their best to ensure the good development of the elections,” Iurie Ciocan said. According to him, Chisinau ensured a good organization of the ballots at the previous elections, both local and parliamentary. Ciocan also said that they planned to make a rectangular seal, with the dimensions of 1x3 cm, with the inscription “2009 elections” or “2009 Parliamentaries,” that could be set on the ID papers of voters. According to the CEC secretary, this way the principle 'one voter - one vote' will be ensured. Iurie Ciocan also said that the voters which cannot go to the polling stations on plausible reasons will be able to ask for a mobile ballot box to their residence, beginning two weeks before the elections, and on the election day – till 15.00. At the sitting, the Chisinau city public servants and members of the working group instituted to coordinate the preparation of the elections in Chisinau expressed their concern with many provisions of the Electoral Code which, as they say, do not clearly stipulate the rules of the game. Vladimir Sarban, the head of Centru district, said that the electoral lists are not secured enough, as they must be posted. Same time, the servants drew notice that the way of leasing venues for meetings with the voters, including the amount of payment collected in this sense, is not described. As to this subject the CEC secretary said that the venues should be leased in due time, and their lists must be made public, and the collected payment must be the same for all applicants. He also said that the money must be paid in advance. Last week the Commission of distributing the means of the Reserve Fund of the municipal administration allotted over half a million lei for organizing the elections in Chisinau. After the Chisinau Council endorses this sum, it will have to be distributed to the district offices, which cannot make any financial operation now because of the sequestered accounts.