Communists appeal against validation of Chisinau mayoral elections

The Communist Party (PCRM) and its candidate for the Chisinau mayoralty, Igor Dodon, today challenged in the Chisinau Court of Appeals the decision of the Centru District Court which declared the June 19 elections to be valid and confirmed Liberal Dorin Chirtoaca's re-election, Info-Prim Neo reports. PCRM lawyer Sergiu Sirbu said that the appeal would be hopefully examined on Monday or Tuesday. He argued that the district court totally ignored the presented evidence: complaints and witness accounts on over one thousand pages, also ignoring the conclusions of the Supreme Court of Justice concerning the violation of the secret vote principle, as well as other circumstances that, according to the Communists, show that the outcome of the mayoral runoff in Chisinau had been rigged. In addition, the PCRM requested the Supreme Court of Justice to replace the entire Court of Appeals panel assigned to the case. Sirbu stated that there were solid evidence showing that there were few judges at the Chisinau Court of Appeals that could be trusted, because many of them were seeking favors from the Superior Magistracy Council, which was appointed by the current government. The best solution in such a case, according to Sirbu, is to remit the case to an appellate court outside of Chisinau.