The United States urges Moldova’s leaders to move quickly to form a new government that respects the will of Moldovan voters. The U.S. welcomes the assessment by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights that Moldova’s parliamentary elections were competitive and generally respected fundamental rights. But it shares OSCE concerns, however, including allegations of bribing voters and misuse of administration resources. The Moldovan authorities are urged to investigate these claims Authorities should also give serious consideration to OSCE, Venice Commission, and other international recommendations for future elections, including clarifying elements of the electoral code.
The head of the election observation mission of Promo-LEX Association Pavel Postica said it is for the first time that an international mission under the aegis of the OSCE in its preliminary reports included credible information about vote buying, misuse of administrative resources, etc. Polina Panainte, secretary of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, said the Coalition classed the elections as unfair and partially free. “The OSCE Mission, in its report, used a more diplomatic language given that such reports are given priority by the European Union and when the EU pronounces on an electoral process, it makes reference to these reports. It is known that the EU imposed the condition of holding free and fair elections for releasing its financial assistance to Moldova. Respectively, a more general formulation that can be interpreted positively leaves more room for discretion in the dialogue between the EU and the Republic of Moldova,” she stated.
“I was glad to see the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary reports showing the elections were free and fair,” Prime Minister Pavel Filip stated in the February 27 meeting of the Cabinet. The Premier noted the insignificant shortcomings that were signaled cannot influence the election outcome.
Transparency International – Moldova warns that the underestimation of the violations and frauds identified on the day of parliamentary elections is extremely dangerous and could undermine the democratic future of the Republic of Moldova, turning it into a polygon of harmful experiments that could be exported, affecting the democracy and security in the region. It noted the specific aggravating context of these elections includes the laundering around $ 22 billion through the corrupt judicial system and committing the $ 1 billion fraud from the banking system, multiple legislative initiatives to legalize money with fraudulent provenience, modifying the electoral system, despite the recommendations of the Venice Commission, by holding elections in a single round without a minimum threshold, massive persecution of political opponents, local leaders, civic activists through law enforcement institutions and controlled media, etc.
Political commentator Alexei Tulbure said the EU financing will not be resumed as a result of last Sunday’s elections. What happened on February 24 was a big fraud and manipulation and cannot be called elections, while the foreign partners, even if they didn’t say it trenchantly, noted that shortcomings were witnessed during the election campaign and on the election day.
President Igor Dodon considers that theoretically there can be four positive scenarios concerning the formation of a coalition in Parliament and one illegal scenario. The Democratic Party (PDM) could form an alliance with the bloc ACUM DA PAS, the Party of Socialists could ally with ACUM, the PSRM could ally with the PDM or snap elections could be called. “I think the Shor Party should form part of none of these scenarios given the members of this party, how it is managed etc.” he stated. Igor Dodon noted the illegal scenario is an alliance between the PDM and the Shor Party that would imply the buying of MPs from other parties and this would propose a candidate for premiership.
President Igor Dodon will make a private visit to Moscow this weekend. “Even if I, as the President, and the members of my family didn’t take part in the recent parliamentary elections, we are tired of the election campaign and would like to rest together this weekend. My eldest son studies music and wants to see a concert in Moscow,” stated Igor Dodon.
The National Energy Regulatory Agency ANRE is supposed to come up with a new fuel price methodology until March 1. ANRE spokesperson Galina Sanduța told IPN the methodology has been put up for public consultations and the date of the public forum would be announced soon. The methodology will take effect after being published in the Official Gazette. Energy expert Sergiu Tofilat stated earlier that the new rules would in fact mark a return to an old methodology, indicating an agreement with the fuel sellers. In Tofilat’s opinion, the consumers’ interest would be best served through the creation of a competitive market overseen by an effective competition watchdog, seconded by an independent judiciary.
The second criminal case in which the former Liberal-Democratic Premier Vlad Filat is investigated for money laundering in very large amounts was suspended by the Buiucani branch of the Chisinau Court and was remitted to the Constitutional Court. The court accepted the lawyer’s request to ask the constitutional judges to pronounce on articles of the Penal Procedure Code.
The Government of Japan supports all human security projects in the Republic of Moldova as part of the “Kusanone” program. A sum of US$78,600 will be provided for modernizing the medical equipment at the Rezina District Hospital, US$64,900 for improving the learning environment at Kindergarten No. 1 in Sireți village of Strășeni district and US$ 89,200 for improving the learning environment at the Children’s Arts School “Maria Cibotari” of Cahul municipality.
The International Music Festival “Martsishor” is set to start.
Details on IPN!
