The February 24 parliamentary elections were "competitive and fundamental rights were generally respected." However, shortcomings were noted throughout the campaign and on the Election Day, notably "allegations of pressure on public employees, strong indications of vote buying and the misuse of state resources", say the preliminary conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission that are quoted by IPN.
The Mission also noted that "control and ownership of the media by political actors limited the range of viewpoints presented to voters." All the shortcomings identified by the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission should be addressed, based on OSCE/ODIHR recommendations in view of future elections at all levels.
These were the first elections conducted under the newly introduced mixed electoral system. Most of the significant amendments made to the Electoral Code in 2017 were not in line with some of the key recommendations of the Council of Europe Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR. The conduct of these latest elections confirmed the need to address these recommendations and to continue efforts to bring the electoral legislation and its implementation in line with international standards.
“The European Union is committed to working with those in the Republic of Moldova who support the reform process that is at the core of our Association Agreement, in particular as regards fighting corruption and vested interests irrespective of the political affiliations, ensuring the independence of the judiciary and de-politicizing the state institutions,” it is said in a press release of the EU Delegation to Moldova.
The preliminary results, with 100% of the votes cast in the February 24 elections being counted, show the Party of Socialists gained 35 seats of MP, the Democratic Party – 30, the electoral bloc ACUM – 26 and the Shor Party – seven. Three independent candidates also entered Parliament. The electoral process ends when the Constitutional Court validates the election outcome.
