The “European Action” Movement (EAM) is determined to participate in the local elections even if it will not be registered as a party till then. At the same time, in case the courts in Moldova refuse to decide on the party’s registration, it reserves itself the right to sue these decisions at the European Court of Human Rights, EAM leader Anatol Petrencu told a press conference on Wednesday, January 10, Info-Prim Neo reports. As Petrencu states, the five-day deadline set for the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Justice to give a response to certain requests repeatedly submitted by EAM concerning the party’s registration expired on January 10. The source says that the Movement was not informed about any response whatsoever, so another two similar requests will be submitted on Wednesday. EAM vice chairman Nicolae Rosca says that the refusal to register the party, citing forged signatures, is violating not only Moldova’s Constitution, Parliament and Government acts, but also international treaties. These documents provide for the citizens’ right to freedom of assembly. Even if the court finds faults in the members’ list, the respective persons will not be taken into account while counting the number of members and will be excluded from the list. Then the party has the right to apply again. As EAM representatives say, neither Parliament and Government acts, nor international treaties stipulate the necessary limit-number of members for registering a political party. At present, a 5,000 member list is required to register a party, while the EAM has presented the Ministry of Justice (MJ) a list including 6,639 members. Petrencu believes MJ was subjected to pressure in order to justify the allegations of forgery. EAM claims MJ defied the law, given that it did not discuss the errors with the party’s leaders, but just sequestered all the documents of EAM. EAM leaders say that the government party, through the agency of the MJ and General Prosecutor’s Office, tries to obstruct the party’s registration in order to avoid opponents in the local elections. “After the communists lost the elections in Gagauzia, they seek to maintain their authority in the other settlements using different methods, including the elimination of potential opponents”, representatives of the “European Action” assert.