The initiative group for supporting Vadim Branzan, who wants to run independently in the presidential elections, said the right of the Moldovan citizens from the left side of the Nistru to become involved in all the stages of the election process is violated. The group’s leader Stefan Gligor in a news conference at IPN said a number of people living in the eastern districts of the country expressed interest in signing for Vadim Branzan, by found out that they are unable to.

According to Stefan Gligor, the legislation provides that the lists with signatures that the aspirants must submit to the Central Election Commission need to be signed by the local public authorities first. However, as there are no constitutionally elected authorities in the eastern districts, the over 200,000 Moldovan citizens from Transnistria automatically lose the right to sign in favor of a potential election runner.

Stefan Gligor considers it is paradoxical that the voters from the Transnistrian region can vote in elections on the right side of the Nistru, but cannot put their signatories in favor of applicants who want to run in elections. 

For his part, Vadim Branzan said he interprets such legal provisions as obstacles placed in the way of those who want to run in elections, especially independently. All those who want to run as independents in the presidential elections are discriminated by the authorities, being treated in the same way as the nominees of parties. It is very hard, if not impossible, for a person without administrative resources and a party behind to collect by 600 signatures in at least 18 districts.

Vadim Branzan also said that the obligation to collect individual signatures violates the peoples’ right to political pluralism. This obligation to sign in favor of one candidate does not exist in other countries that are much larger than Moldova and have a larger population.

Those who want to help collect signatures in favor of Vadim Branzan can call on +37360970007 to find out how they can become involved. To sign in favor of him, the people can go to his office located at 89 Mitr. Dosoftei St. Groups are now set up at the local level to also collect signatures.

To be able to run in the race for the presidency, Vadim Branzan, as the other applicants, must collect at least 15,000 signatures in his favor and submit them to the CEC by September 29.