Referendum in Transnistria to be held in September

The leader of the Transnistrian region, Igor Smirnov, intends to submit a legislative initiative regarding organizing of a referendum on Transnistria’s external policy option. Smirnov announced about this, according to the region’s mass media, during a briefing held in Tiraspol. The referendum will include as well as question concerning population’s position on the negotiation process with Chisinau. According to Smirnov, the referendum has to be held at the end of September 2006. He announced that he has already consulted on this matter with the chairman of the Supreme Soviet, Evgheni Shevchiuk, and the chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of the region, Piotr Denisenko. Transnistria will require to CIS states and international organizations accreditation of certain observers to the referendum. The same proposal will be addressed to the Council of the Russian Federation. On 31st of March 2006, the VI-th Congress of deputies of all levels of the Transnistrian region decided organizing the referendum in Transnistria in order to determine the peaceful co-living formula between Moldova and Transnistria. During the recent visit to Moldova, the head of the team of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for RM, Kimmo Kiljunen, said that the intention of the leaders of Tiraspol to organize a referendum in the region would not be supported as long as this initiative is not recognized on international level, as well as the referendum of Montenegro. The official mentioned that the referendum has to be the result of negotiations and not a precondition for the latter ones.