A number of civil society organizations condemn the Central Election Commission’s decision to establish only 146 polling stations outside the country. According to representatives of these organizations, the CEC didn’t take into account such important criteria as preregistration and the previous voting experience in some of the regions. The subject was discussed in a videoconference organized by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms, IPN reports.

Elena Prohnitski, secretary of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, said that in the current elections, the discussions between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CEC and the process of determining the number and location of polling stations were fully nontransparent. By a statement, the Coalition condemned the CEC’s decision to set up 139 polling stations outside Moldova’s borders, which they consider illegal.

Pavel Postica, of Promo-Lex Association, said the CEC’s decision is politically biased. They every time establish fewer polling stations than the number for which money is planned. “150 polling stations were mandatory from moral viewpoint for the CEC. The three criteria used to determine the number of polling stations weren’t taken into account. The number of preregistrations was very high and the voter turnout at the previous elections was also high, but they ultimately pasted the document concerning the polling stations at the previous elections,” he stated.

Eugen Revenco, secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, said that given the situation created at polling stations outside the country at the presidential elections, the Ministry proposed that the CEC should double at least the stations where long lines were formed at the previous elections. Geographical diversification is an option for reducing the pressure on some of the stations.

Alexandru Berlinschi, division head at the CEC, said the Government until now allocated 70 million lei for organizing the elections and the Commission by June 20 is to determine exactly the total cost of elections. The CEC approved an approximate expenditure estimate of 125 million lei, which include the costs for purchasing anti-COVID-19 supplies, while over 70 million lei will go to pay the over 20,000 electoral functionaries.

The CEC three days ago decided to increase the number of polling stations from 139 to 146. A number of political parties challenged the decision in the Chisinau City Appeals Court.

The debate was staged with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation.