CEC warns PCRM

The Central Election Commission (CEC) Tuesday warned the Communists Party (PCRM), following an appeal submitted by the Democratic Party (PDM). The PCRM is accused of having used, in electoral ads, contrary to the law, images with foreign officials, as the premier and the president of Russia. The ads were aired by seven TV stations and on the official site of the PCRM. The CEC obliged the party to withdraw the ads, Info-Prim Neo reports. The PDM's representative at the CEC, Andrei Volentir has stated his delight with warning the PCRM. Volentir says he has video evidence to prove that on February 23 the PCRM posted new images from the quarters of the Parliament and of the Chisinau City Hall, what runs counter the by-law approved by the CEC. In its turn, the PCRM's representative at the CEC, Sergiu Sarbu, has said the ads with foreign officials were already withdrawn from TV stations and are to be withdrawn from the party's site. He has added “other competitors were also warned and compelled to observe the electoral law.” When ask to comment the results of the monitoring by the Electronic Press Association (APEL), according to which public broadcaster Moldova-1 makes political partisanship for the Communists Party, Sarbu accused the public broadcaster of favoring Moldova Noastra Alliance. He has said “the PCRM lodged an appeal with the CEC and the Broadcasting Council to take action against M1 and for ensuring the equality of chances among all the electoral competitors.” He has added “practically all the electoral competitors violate the law, as a series of appeals will be submitted to the CEC one of these days”. In case party is found to have breeched the electoral law several times, the CEC members may ask the Supreme Court of Justice to outs that competitor from the election race. But the Election Code does not specify for what breeches the procedure may be applied. The CEC may decide how many warnings it should issue to a party, depending on the seriousness of the violations committed.