Head of state promises European ambassadors that Moldovan authorities will make everything possible to hold democratic elections

President Vladimir Voronin met with the Ambassadors of the EU, the U.S., Turkey, the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the OSCE working in Moldova on Monday, December 22. He assured them that the Moldovan authorities will make everything possible for the elections to be democratic and conducted in compliance with the European norms, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the presidential press service. “We will invite the EU institutions, the OSCE and expert organizations to monitor the electoral process during the whole election campaign, not only before the elections. We are open for cooperation with any state or international organization in insuring the transparency of the 2009 parliamentary elections,” the head of state said. Vladimir Voronin also said that he is in favor of a fully free mass media in Moldova. “We have not exerted and will not exert pressure on the journalists that work legally in Moldova. We have a very clear position: any mass media representative has the right to receive and distribute information,” the president said. “All the broadcasters whose licenses expire could work unhindered during the electoral period. The license of PRO TV Chisinau, which expires on December 23, will not be put up for contest until the election camping closes,” the head of state said. Vladimir Voronin voiced hope that the election results would not affect Moldova’s pro-European course. “I would like that those that will win the elections keep this course as the only one that can bring Moldova closer to the united European family,” he said. In their speeches, the U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Asif J. Chaudhry, the Ambassador of France, which now holds the presidency of the EU, Pierre Andrieu and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Philip Remler said that this meeting comes to support Moldova’s interest in extending and strengthening the cooperation relations with the EU member states, the United States, the OSCE, the Council of Europe at bilateral level and within European organizations, the press release says. On November 25, representatives of the EU member states and European institutions in Chisinau called upon the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to ensure that the forthcoming parliamentary elections are conducted in accordance with international standards for democratic elections. In a joint statement, ten embassies and two European institutions working in Chisinau underlined the importance of guaranteeing full respect for the principle of political pluralism including competition of parties and candidates and, ultimately, of ideas with the aim of protecting maximum voter choice. In reply, the Ministry of Justice issued a press release, assuring that all the procedures for registering political parties or amendments to their statutes are in strict compliance with the law. The Ministry expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the ambassadors had not consulted with it first.