Rulers interfere into election race: PLDM

The election race runs with multiple breeches and abuses on the part of the Communists Party (PCRM) and of the state authorities, the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) claims. It says that, apart from massively using administrative resources, the Communists resort to intimidating electoral opponents, blackmailing and aggressing electioneerers, forbidding rallies with voters, Info-Prim Neo reports. PLDM first deputy president Alexandru Tanase, the second on the party's list, Thursday told a news conference “the running race is the dirtiest in Moldova's history.” “The most alarming behavior of the governance is involving the police into the electoral campaign,” Tanase said. According to him, all the personnel of the Interior Ministry are mobilized, instructed by minister Gheorghe Papuc, to watch and intimidate the opposition parties. “All the district police commissars are instructed to obstruct and participate in the rallies of the opposition parties, to report on the number of attendees and subjects discussed. Community policemen tell voters rallies are canceled and scare them not to participate in meetings,” Alexandru Tanase specified. He says even the forests managing state company “Moldsilva” in involved in the race, the director of which is Anatolie Popusoi, running on the PCRM's list. “All the verderers are threatened they will fired, unless the Communists win in their localities. They were also instructed to allow villagers to cut trees, without restriction, but on condition they vote for the Communists,” Tanase specified. Lawyer Vitalie Nagacevschi, the 5th on the PLDM's list for the parliament, says the PCRM involved the Service of Information and Security into the race. Heads of state institutions ban their employees to go to rallies organized by opposition parties, Nagacevschi said. The PLDM is also worried about holding the elections abroad. Iurie Leanca, a former foreign deputy minister, running the 10th on the PLDM's list, says the great majority of heads of diplomatic missions of Moldova are appointed according political criteria. “At least four Moldovan ambassadors do not work, but are campaigning. We fear and have proofs those ambassadors could influence the results of the election,” he said. The PLDM calls on OSCR/ODIHR to consider the possibility to observe the elections in the quarters of those 33 Moldovan diplomatic missions abroad.