The Party of Communists (PCRM) constituted its electoral staff that will call on the people not to go to the polls on October 30. Under the legal provisions, which were explained to IPN by the member of the Central Election Commission Andrei Volentir, the party has the right to do so.
According to an informative note of the PCRM, the party’s leader Vladimir Voronin was chosen to manage the party’s work in the election campaign. Communist MP Elena Bodnarenko was named as head of the electoral staff. She will be assisted by MPs Oleg Reidman, Maria Postoiko and Inna Supac.
Asked if the PCRM can campaign and urge he people not to cast their ballots, Andrei Volentir said the situation is unordinary and should be analyzed through the angle of the Law on Political Parties and the Election Code. “The political parties aim both to gain power and to, at least, influence it. The Law on Parties provides that the parties take part in the formation of public opinion. From this perspective, the Communists, by their call to boycott the elections, do not break the law,” stated the CEC member.
On the other hand, Article 47 of the Election Code stipulates that the parties can subject to discussions the qualities of the candidates of other parties, but in other forms than those envisioned for electoral competitors. “In the absence of the status of election runner, they will be unable to benefit from airtime for example. Thus, they will be able to use other ways of communicating with the people, based on the Press Law, for example. They will have to stage events of public resonance so that the press covers them and their message reaches the people or to meet with the people within assemblies, rallies,” said Andrei Volentir.
The PCRM announced that it will not field its own candidate for the October 30 presidential elections because these are illegal. According to the Communists, the decision to restore the people’s right to choose the Head of State themselves should have been taken by the people, in a referendum to amend the Constitution, not by judges of the Constitutional Court.
