Eugen Tomac: We expect a high voter turnout as Moldovans have greater interest in Romanian nationality

The Romanian state hopes that a higher number of Moldovans holding Romanian nationality will exercise their right to vote in the November 22 presidential elections and referendum because the Moldovan people have a greater interest in obtaining Romanian nationality, Eugen Tomac, secretary of state for relations with the Romanians from everywhere at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, said in a news conference in Chisinau on November 9, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The number of voters is different at every election. It is hard to say how many Romanians from Moldova will go to the polls on November 22. We hope the number will be as high as possible as the presidential elections have always held interest for the people,” Eugen Tomac said. The Romanian official also said that the formulation of policies in support of the Romanian citizens from abroad by the Government and the Parliament is another reason for actively participating in elections. On November 22, the Romanian citizens with the right to vote, when entering the polling station, will have to fill in a declaration, promising not to vote at another polling place. The ballots for the November 22 elections will be black and blue. The persons taking part in the referendum will have to answer two questions: if they are in favor of transforming the Parliament of Romania from bicameral into unicameral, and if they are in favor of reducing the number of MPs to 300. Eugen Tomac said that the number of polling places that will be set up abroad has been doubled – from 142 in 2004 to 294 in 2009. He also said that the number of Romanian nationals in Moldova has increased during the last few years so that four more polling stations will be opened in Chisinau besides the two used in the previous elections. Nine more polling places will be set up in other Moldovan settlements, namely Anenii Noi, Nisporeni, Ungheni, Soroca, Balti, Causeni, Cahul, and Giurgiulesti. Speaking about the voting procedure, Eugen Tomac said that the Romanian citizens from Moldova and those from other states can vote with the identity card, the simple passport, the work or diplomatic passport. “The Romanian nationals whose identification papers expired, must go to the Romanian Consulate in Chisinau and receive travel permits or have their Romanian passports renewed,” Tomac said. The heads and members of the polling places will be employees of the diplomatic corps, members of political parties, representatives of the civil society, etc. The second round of presidential election in Romania was set for December 6. More than 3,400 Romanian citizens voted in the November 30, 2008 legislative elections at the two polling places in Chisinau.