Intimidation should be excluded from a genuine electoral process. All the parties and candidates should have equitable access to the media so that the voters could make an informed choice. The rules concerning campaigns funding should be applied strictly and equitably. The responsibility for the fulfillment of these expectations is borne by the governmental authorities and electoral bodies. Nevertheless, the legitimate elections will necessitate constructive and coordinated efforts on the part of all the interested sides in Moldova. Such a message was transmitted by representatives of a pre-electoral assessment mission of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), based in Washington DC, for the February 24, 2019 parliamentary elections that will be in Moldova during December 12-15.
At a news conference at IPN, Michael Carpenter, senior director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, said the recommendations are formulated as a result of discussions held by the delegation with all the players involved in the electoral process. Thus, the electoral bodies are recommended to make sure that all the candidates have equal opportunities and access to registration in the electoral race. The courts of law are recommended to exercise the responsibility impartially, correctly and transparently, in accordance with the rule of law principles. The media are recommended to make sure the electoral process is covered correctly and impartially and to ensure the equitable access of all the electoral contenders.
The representatives of the mission recommended the Government of the Republic of Moldova to publicly and repeatedly underline, unequivocally, that the intimidation of parties, candidates, journalists, representatives of civil society and voters will not be tolerated, while those who will not comply will be held accountable in accordance with the law. The parties and candidates should be fully confident they could register and conduct the campaign freely. The executive is recommended to make a visible and coordinated effort to inform the public functionaries and society about the fact that the abusive use of administrative resources will not be tolerated and those who will not comply will be held accountable. The authorities are recommended to make sure the law enforcement agencies react to the accusations concerning administrative or criminal violations swiftly, impartially, transparently and efficiently.
The Government is also recommended to make the necessary efforts to ensure the right to vote of the Moldovans abroad by establishing a sufficient number of polling places and by providing the polling places with sufficient resources so that all the electors could vote; to clarify the purpose of installing video cameras in polling places and the periods during which the recordings can be obtained, including by organizations of national and international observers. The representatives of the mission recommend the international community to ensure all the credible national and international organizations have sufficient financing for implementing programs to oversee the elections, the media and the legal procedures.
NDI regional director for Europe Laura Jewett said the recommendations are formulated following the conclusions reached by the representatives of the mission after the meetings held in the course of this week with representatives of the whole political spectrum and of national and international election monitoring missions and groups. The delegation also took part in meetings with government and election officials, parliamentary candidates, political party leaders, and representatives of civil society, the media, the international community, local public authorities, diplomatic community, and government.
The NDI pre-election assessment mission for the February 24, 2019 parliamentary elections is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy. The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan nongovernmental organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.
