Moldova OSCE Mission Head condemns forced closure of Corjova polling station

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Louis O'Neill, said today the closure of a polling station during the Moldovan local elections by Transnistrian law enforcement bodies was unacceptable. The Mission’s press release, quoted by Info-Prim Neo, informs that some 30 Transnistrian militiamen forced their way into polling station 15/3 in Corjova (Dubasari) early on June 17 and closed it down. According to the cited source, Mission members counted approximately 70 Transnistrian militiamen and about 40 Moldovan police in and around the polling station on Sunday. The Moldova authorities showed restraint by not bringing in additional forces to attempt to repel the Transnistrian seizure of the voting place. Such a move could have driven events beyond control. Overall it was clear that neither side wished to further escalate this very difficult situation. The OSCE Mission says it made intensive efforts over the last days to mediate a solution which would have prevented this escalation and it deeply regret that it was not possible to find such a solution and that Corjova voters were again deprived of their right to elect a mayor and a local council. Sunday's poll was the second attempt to hold local elections in Corjova this year. Jurisdiction over Corjova is disputed between the central authorities in Chisinau and regional authorities in Tiraspol. This is the first time, however, that a polling station was closed down by force. During the 2005 parliamentary elections, Transnistrian authorities blocked attempts to carry out mobile voting for home-bound voters and in 2003, the polling station for Corjova was opened in the neighbouring village, the OSCE Mission’s press release reads.