Vote recount was performed with deviations from norms, Promo-Lex

The observers of Promo-Lex Association say the recount of the votes cast in the November 28 early legislative elections was performed within terms, but with deviations from the norms and with careless attitude, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a communiqué, the Association says that most of the electoral officials were mobilized for the vote recount in a short period of time. At the same time, there were identified a number of shortcomings in the vote recount including the late initiation of the process in 18 electoral districts and insufficient training of the members of the electoral offices of the polling places. The Association’s observers said that the training in a number of regions was performed on the day of the recount. As a result, the electoral materials were released with delay. There were identified 30 cases of transmitting sacks of ballots with the seals apparently damaged. The observers said the sacks with electoral materials were taken over with violations of the instructions of the Central Election Commission. Only the heads of six electoral bureaus of 35 were accompanied by at least two members of the bureau and police guard, as the law requires. The monitoring effort of Promo-Lex involved 80 observers. They monitored how the sacks with electoral materials were transmitted to the electoral bureaus of the polling places and then, after the recount, to the district electoral councils. The vote recount was ordered by the Constitutional Court at the request of the PCRM. The procedure cost over 13 million lei. As a result of the vote recount, the PCRM obtained by 308 votes more than after the first count. These results did not yet affect the distribution of seats of MP.