Expenditure on elections will be monitored by NGOs as well

Sixty monitors from seven district centers of Moldova will follow how transparently the political parties running in the November 28 early legislative elections spend the money during the campaign, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Civic Initiative for Financial Transparency in Elections is implemented by the Resource Center for Human Rights (CreDO) and the Partnership for Development Center, with support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). In a news conference on Monday, CreDO director Sergiu Ostaf said the monitors will analyze the direct and hidden publicity in the mass media and how the advertisements are paid for. They will also examine street advertising, including the promotional materials that are often not included in the financial accounts, according to Ostaf. There will be also monitored the resources used by the election contenders to stage public events and the administrative costs intended for the electoral staff, as well as the use of administrative resources and the provision of electoral favors. Daniela Terzi-Barbarosie, the head of the Partnership for Development Center, said the monitors will examine how the women are involved in the election campaign, both as candidates and as voters, because the meetings with the voters are held mainly after 5pm, when most of the women do the housework. IFES Resident Representative in Moldova Stevean Gray said that democracy in Moldova is powerful and represents a guarantee of the freedom of speech, assembly and election. In the same news conference, the secretary of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Iurie Ciocan said all the political parties engaged in the election campaign are obliged to present financial reports about the incomes and costs incurred once in two weeks. But the mass media, the election contenders and society are dissatisfied with the information contained in these reports. The results of the monitoring within the Civic Initiative for Financial Transparency in Elections will be made public periodically in news conferences. The final results will be presented on the Friday coming before the elections. In 2008, the IFES initiated a project to increase the transparency of the CEC so that it becomes a modern institution that can organize free and fair elections.