Communist candidates 'face exclusion' from Gagauz legislative race

Communist candidates running for seats in the Gagauz autonomy's legislative body could be excluded from the race because of a Parliament motion of July 12 that bans the use of the hammer and the sickle for political purposes. Communist MP Sergiu Sirbu today challenged the motion in the Constitutional Court, seeking to invalidate it. “This motion was grossly falsified. Since its adoption to its publishing (in the Official Gazette), other articles were added. We will have elections in Gagauzia this Sunday and chances are that Communist candidates could be excluded or, at least, they could be prohibited from using this symbol”, Sirbu told Info-Prim Neo. The Constitutional Court was requested to hear the Communists' petition in an urgent manner. According to Sirbu, the July 12 motion violates a number of human rights and freedoms. Under the July 12 motion, the political parties using communist-era symbols, in particular the hammer-and-sickle, are required to replace them by October 1, or face penalties. Communist leader Vladimir Voronin repeatedly stated that his party won't give up the hammer-and-sickle insignia.