CoE co-rapporteurs for Moldova brace for monitoring 2009 elections

The co-rapporteurs of the Commission on the member states honoring commitments before the Council of Europe (CoE), Josette Durrieu and Egidijus Vareikis, have started to monitor the organization of the 2009 parliamentary elections. This is one of the goals of the fact-finding mission to Moldova, on September 8-9, Josette Durrieu has told journalists after meeting the Parliament's president, Marian Lupu, Info-Prim Neo reports. “From now on, till 2009, we'll come very often to Moldova,” Josette Durrieu said. According to her, another goal of the co-rapporteurs is to meet all the authorities to assess the situation in Moldova because “many things change.” The visit envisages meetings with the leaders of parliamentary factions, with premier Zinaida Greceanai, with the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister, Andrei Stratan, with other officials from ministries and departments. On Monday afternoon the CoE co-rapporteurs go to Tiraspol to meet the Transnistrian authorities. “We're interested in the development of the situation following the events in Georgia,” Josette Durrieu specified. Asked if the Georgia events could affect the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, Mme Durrieu has said: “We shall not answer this question. We are posing this question and consequently, the goal of the discussions we're going to have is to try to better understand, to better inform ourselves, to see how things can develop.” The officials are to meet the representatives of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council and of Teleradio – Moldova public broadcaster. Moldova is being monitored by the CoE since it joined the organization in 1995.