Dissensions appeared between former and current MPs over the snap mayoral elections held in the municipality of Bălți. According to former MP Iurie Reniță, the electoral process was fully compromised and the runoff vote will not look legal and representative to the citizens. For their part, representatives of PAS said the exclusion of Marina Tauber from the competition was perfectly legal and by this precedent the basis of correct electoral process are laid in Moldova, where voter corruption will no longer be a norm, IPN reports.

Former MP Iurie Reniță said the situation created around the snap mayoral elections in the municipality of Bălți fully discredited the idea of participatory democracy in Moldova. The electoral authorities imposed penalties with delay and this led to the districting of the electoral process.

“A democratic exercise, the elections, was compromised. We thus wonder if these elections are legitimate. If all the candidates withdraw, the situation will be both sad and awkward as there is no legitimacy and representativeness. They acted late in all respects. They knew very well from the pre-electoral period who the players are and what their electoral behavior is. I was the MP who proposed the amendment that banned charitable foundations from taking part in the electoral process, but the amendment was blocked. These elections should be rerun,” ex-MP Iurie Reniță stated in the talk show “Freedom” on TV8 channel.

PAS MP Vladimir Bolea said the boycotting of the elections by the PCRM-PSRM Bloc’s candidate does not hamper the holding of the runoff vote. The exclusion of Marina Tauber from the completion is a proof of the fact that the Central Election Commission became an independent institution that does not allow deviations from the electoral legislation.

“A candidate that took part in an electoral competition legally has all the chances to become the challenger of Nicolai Grigorishin in the runoff vote. It is a premiere during the 30 years of the existence of the Republic of Moldova that a candidate is removed from the race perfectly legally, based on a court decision. We can speak about the start of the reformation of the electoral system when persons who give bribe, didn’t declare their costs are penalized,” stated Vladimir Bolea.

The candidate for mayor of Bălți of the PCRM-PSRM Bloc Alexandr Nesterovechi on December 7 announced he would boycott the runoff vote set for December 19. This way, independent Nicolai Grigorishin in the runoff is to duel with the representative of Moldova’s Patriots Party Nicolae Chirilciuc, who is the next ranked candidate.