EU to finance election observation abroad

The European Union will fund the monitoring of the November 28 early legislative elections at the polling places established abroad, said the Head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova Dirk Schuebel, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. In a news conference, Dirk Schuebel said that in Moldova the elections will be overseen by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) that plans to send about 20 long-term observers and approximately 200 short-term observers. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly are also expected to delegate observers. Therefore, the EU considers inside the country the elections will be supervised sufficiently. “The EU will focus on election observation abroad, which will be a problem especially for the Opposition. The necessary funds have been identified. A large number of NGOs expressed readiness to oversee the elections abroad. The political parties will also have monitors. We welcome the opening of polling places overseas as they offer the Moldovans the possibility of expressing their will,” said Dirk Schuebel. The Central Election Commission has authorized the opening of 75 polling places abroad, by three fewer than for the September 5 constitutional referendum. Promo-LEX Association has registered 239 persons as observers for the November 28 elections.