The Liberal Party (PL) critically reacted to the Chisinau District Electoral Council’s decision to delay the registration of the suspended mayor Dorin Chirtoaca as a participant in the November 19 referendum on his dismissal. In a press release, the PL says “we are witnessing an inexplicable Ping-Pong game that is nothing else but waste of time”, IPN reports.
According to the PL, Dorin Chirtoaca submitted the required documents on October 13 and the Chisinau District Electoral Council (DEC) was obliged to take a decision on his registration within three calendar days.
At the same time, the Socialists filed the documents on October 12 and were registered the same day. In the case of Dorin Chirtoaca, the Chisinau District Electoral Council avoided taking a decision on October 16 and remitted the documents to the Central Election Commission, which already pronounced on the issue and shifted the responsibility on the DEC Chisinau.
“We note that Dorin Chirtoaca is an interested party in this referendum and this fact was accepted by the court of law. Consequently, the DEC Chisinau was obliged to register him as a participant in the referendum organized against him,” says the press release.
According to the Liberals, by refusing to register Dorin Chirtoaca, the DEC Chisinau violated the Election Code and this shows that the initiators of the referendum fear a plebiscite staged on principles of equality and parity and are afraid that the mayor general could take part in electoral debates and meetings with voters to annihilate their lies.
In its October 16 meeting, the Chisinau District Electoral Council’s hasn’t satisfied Dorin Chirtoaca’s request to register him as a participant in the November 19 plebiscite where the voters will be asked if they want Chirtoaca to be removed from the mayoralty. This will request the CEC to specify the procedure for registering private individuals in the referendum. A decision on Dorin Chirtoaca’s registration will be taken later.
Dorin Chirtoaca is the first deputy chairman of the Liberal Party. He is tried for acts of corruption and influence peddling, but pleads not guilty. A solution for him to be able to take part in the referendum is for the court to replace the form of arrest imposed on him from house arrest with judicial control.
