The first round of the presidential elections was held in a professional manner despite the challenges caused by COVID-19. Particular legislative shortcomings undermined the efficiency of the observation of campaign financing and resolution of disputes related to the elections. In general, it was a competitive campaign where the voters had distinct political alternatives from which they could choose, even if there were insinuations of vote buying. The conclusions were formulated by the ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission to the presidential election and were presented in a news conference, IPN reports.
Head of Mission Corien Jonker said the pandemic actually didn’t affect the pluralism in these elections. The freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly were respected. The electoral authorities managed to show efficient cooperation in coping with the challenges related to the pandemic. There were initially particular difficulties concerning the assignment of members of electoral commissions, but these didn’t reduce the capacity of electoral commissions to organize themselves swiftly. Furthermore, the CEC prepared an extended information campaign for the voters, where it laid emphasis on the anti-epidemic protection measures. In general, the electoral authority managed to address technical aspects of elections in an efficient and transparent manner.
During the election campaign month, most of the TV programs presented diverse information about the candidates and this enabled the voter to make an informed choice, which is vital in democratic elections. However, the Missions noticed that most of the media outlets are politically affiliated and powerfully controlled and this influenced the editorial policy, contributed to polarization and had a negative impact on the quality of journalism.
According to the ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission, the electoral legislation is ambiguous in many regards: registration of candidates; election campaign funding, and electoral disputes. The CEC introduced late rules that would address these shortcomings. The CEC rules cannot substitute good electoral laws, which depends on the political parties that, for their part, should create an environment for the CEC to operate in an impartial and independent manner. There were accusations of the involvement of the church in the election campaign. The incumbent President was supported by the Orthodox Church.
On the election day, the Mission visited a limited number of polling places. In the polling places established for voters residing in the Transnistrian region, the voting process was organized well, but in parts the space was very limited and the location of polling places affected vote secrecy. Only some of the polls were accessible to persons with disabilities. In some of the polling pales, particular observers were seen keeping a record of voters and vehicles.
There were signaled instances of organized transportation of voters, which led to particular blockages on roads, tensions. This hampered the free movement of voters and their access to polling stations.
The ODIHR Mission has stayed in Moldova for six weeks, with a core team of ten members and 22 long-term observers dispatched all over the country.
