Foreign observers signal irregularities in Gagauz poll

The delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and of the EU Committee of the Regions recommends the Moldovan authorities to urgently set up an electronic register of voters. The recommendation has been made following the first round of the Gagauz elections of March 16, when a large number of voters were recorded on additional lists. The head of the delegation, Karsten Behr told a news conference on Monday, February 17, that, at some polling stations, the number of voters recorded on the additional lists was as large as 40%. The official has also underlined that the autonomy authorities did not obey the recommendations of not opening stations at upper floors. “Under the circumstances when, in order to reach the station, the voters had to climb as many as 40-50 stairs, the access for the elderly was restricted. As a result, there were more requests to vote at home, what is not exactly well,” Karsten Behr underlined. The international observers have also found other shortcomings. Yet none of those significantly influenced the results. The delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and of the EU Committee of the Regions recommends that the ballots should be printed on non-transparent paper in the future, so as to keep the secret of the vote. According to Karsten Behr, the report they are going to make up and publish after the runoff will stress the need to solve the issue of funding the race beforehand. The official has avoided answering who should have given the money for the Gagauz elections: the local or the central authorities. He has specified he heard of more opinions on the matter and he is not entitled to say his stand. Karsten Behr has had the same reply when asked to comment on the Russian humanitarian aid for the autonomy. He has just said it is not good that any kind of aid should influence the electorate’s opinion. Another delegation member, Joseph Borg, has remarked the friendly atmosphere at polling stations. Beyond the noticed drawbacks, the foreign observers say the elections for the Gagauz autonomy’s People’s Assembly have got closer to the international standards on free and fair elections.