The number of polling places abroad should be increased, the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (CALC) recommends to the Central Election Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, IPN reports.
According to the authors of the note, after examining the available statistical data concerning the three legal criteria used to establish polling stations abroad (information about the number of Moldovans abroad obtained by the Ministry from the authorities of the countries of residence, preregistration results and voter turnout at the previous national elections), they determined that 134 of the 139 polling stations established by the authorities for the presidential elections of 2020 should be maintained for the snap parliamentary elections of July 11 this year.
Depending on the final results of the preregistration that ends on May 26, the CALC recommends the CEC and the Ministry to reassess the opportunity of maintaining the five polling stations (one in Greece and four in the Russian Federation) and of establishing 19 new polling stations: six in Italy, three in the UK, by two in France, Germany and the United States and by one in Ireland, Portugal, Luxemburg and Finland.
The comparative analysis of the costs incurred by the authorities for establishing polling stations abroad for the previous elections showed that the planned budget has never been fully used. At the presidential elections of 2020, of the 11.66 million lei allocated, 82.55% were used. The sum of 2 million lei that remained after organizing and holding the presidential elections abroad, in two rounds, shows that the estimated sum of 11.28 million lei is more than sufficient for organizing elections at the 150 polling stations that are to be established by the CEC abroad for the July 11 elections.
At the same time, the CALC reminds the authorities of the importance of ensuring an open and transparent process in the establishment of polling stations abroad. It formulated a number of relevant recommendations intended for the Ministry and the CEC.
Earlier, CEC president Dorin Cimil said that if the sum needed for properly holding the elections is reduced, the Commission will have to cut the number of polling places intended for the diaspora.
