Transnistrian and Russian delegations to JCC oppose polls in Corjova

The delegations of Transnistria and Russia to the Joint Control Commission (JCC) are against the Moldovan authorities’ intention to open an electoral sector in Corjova village, which is located on the left bank of the Nistru and disputed by the Moldovan and separatist authorities. The subject aroused heated discussions at the JCC’s meeting on February 19, Info-Prim Neo reports. Moldova’s Reintegration Ministry informed the members and experts of the JCC that the Central Election Commission decided to set up ten polling places for the Moldovan people living in the Transnistrian region and to open an electoral sector in Corjova village. Given the incident between the Moldovan and Transnistrian law enforcers that happened at the polling station in Corjova during the 2007 local elections, the Reintegration Ministry called on the military observers to monitor the situation in the Security Zone and ensure the free movement of the Moldovan people to the polling places. The Transnistrian delegation described the Reintegration Ministry’s call as challenge on the part of Moldova, saying it is against the opening of an electoral sector in Corjova village. Also, it refused to guarantee the security of the Corjova residents that intend to take part in elections. The Russian delegation also opposed the opening of an electoral sector in Corjova. “The Moldovan authorities’ intention to set up a polling place in Corjova can make the situation in the Security Zone tense,” the co-president of the JCC on behalf of Russia Serghei Gorlov said, quoted by Olvia-press. He also said that the Moldovan village of Cocieri is in the immediate vicinity of Corjova and the residents of Dubasari and Corjova that have Moldovan nationality and want to take part in elections can vote in the polling station opened there. The two delegations said that it is not within the competence of the JCC and the observers of the joint peacekeeping forces to carry out monitoring inspections as their task is to control the situation in the Security Zone. The local elections held in Corjova on June 3 and 17, 2007 failed because the separatist forces blocked access to the polling place. Transnistrian militiamen destroyed the electoral supplies of the polling place and ill-treated a number of villagers that wanted to vote and police officers. It was for the first time that a poling station was closed by force. During the 2005 parliamentary elections, the Transnistrian authorities foiled the attempts to organize mobile elections for the residential voters, while in 2003 the polling place for Corjova was set up in the neighboring village Cocieri, which is controlled by Moldova.