The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided to open 42 polling stations for the voters form the Transnistrian region because the number of Transnistrian voters rose continuously at the last three elections, IPN quoted the Commission’s president Dorin Cimil as saying in the talk show “Shadow Cabinet” on Jurnal TV channel.

The official made reference to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova, which stipulates that all the citizens should have access to ballot boxes, either they live on the right bank of the Nistru or on the left bank.

“It was decided to establish a sufficient number of polling stations so that we comply with Articled 32 of the Electoral Code, which stipulates several criteria for identifying an optimal number of polling places for the citizens living on the left side of the Nistru. We have 238,000 citizens eligible to vote there and had the highest turnout of 37,000 voters in 2019,” stated Dorin Cimil.

Asked how the CEC intends to fight the organized transportation for the Transnistrian voters, the official made reference to a decision adopted recently by the institution and to a protocol note sent to the candidates for President.

“We solved that problem that wasn’t solved by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova following the Constitutional Court’s recommendations of 2016. Among those issues there was the organized transportation of voters to polling stations. As the problem wasn’t solved at legislative level, we decided to come up with a solution. The CEC issued a circular warning against and banning the organized transportation of voters. We also issued a protocol note to all the electoral competitors and to the voters concurring the fighting of the phenomenon of organized transportation of voters,” said Dorin Cimil.

Under the document adopted by the CEC, the electoral contender or other persons acting in the name of this cannot organize the transportation of voters to polling stations between 7am and 9pm, by buses or taxicabs, by regular routes or by agreement with transport operators, for influencing them to vote for a particular candidate.

As regards an eventual postponement of the presidential elections, the official said only the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova can take such a decision.