Elections in Transnistria took place in a tense atmosphere, report

The atmosphere of the early elections for the Moldovan Parliament in the Transnistrian region was tense and there occurred a number of incidents, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a preliminary report by Promo-LEX Association. According to the Promo-LEX observers, the electoral rights of the voters in Transnistria continue to be ignored. However, the Moldovan people living on the right bank of the Nistru showed an increased interest in the polls. “Even if the separatist administration erected barriers and the Moldovan constitutional authorities did not adequately inform the Transnistrian voters about the elections, the number of voters in the early elections was by 1,500 larger than in the April 5 elections,” Ion Guzun, jurist with Promo-LEX, told a news conference on June 30. Representatives of the secessionist authorities blocked the roads and thoroughly checked the units of transport at every control post, limiting the free movement of the people. “The constitutional authorities failed to ensure the right to vote of the inhabitants of Corjova village of Dubasari district, on the territory of the poling station opened there,” Igor Guzun said. Promo-LEX stressed that the electoral rolls were compiled inaccurately. The observers discovered many dead persons in the lists. Also, a part of the electoral registers disappeared, while some of the voting certificates were issued on the basis of invalid or inexistent identification papers. “There were used dubious F-9 forms: the picture was stuck with adhesive, the number of the document was not indicated and the stamp was not applied on the photo,” said the Association’s president Ion Manole. The observers also said that the electoral offices of the polling places were biased when they processed voters’ applications asking that they be allowed to vote at the place of residence, accepting some and rejecting others. Some of the members of the electoral bodies fulfilled their duties negligently and irresponsibly. Promo-LEX monitored the elections in seven electoral districts as part of a project implemented by the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections – Coalition 2009. About 270 observers supervised the voting process in Floresti, Rezina, Dubasari, Anenii Noi, Causeni, Stefan Voda districts and Moldova’s Transnistrian region.