OSCE Moldova Mission calls for fair and equal campaigning in Gagauz elections

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Louis O’Neill called on central and regional authorities to ensure fair and equal campaign conditions for the 3 December elections for the Bashkan (Governor) of the autonomous Gagauz region in southern Moldova. According to a press-release of the OSCE Mission, Ambassador O’Neill said upon return from a fact-finding trip to the region that “these elections are a test case not only for Gagauzia, but for Moldova as a whole”. In his meetings yesterday with the Chairman of the Gagauz Election Commission, Viktor Koloshin, incumbent Bashkan, Georgi Tabunshik, and his challengers Mihail Formuzal, Nikolai Dudoglo and Aleksandr Stoianoglo, Ambassador O’Neill underlined the importance of fair and equal campaign conditions. He also urged restraint from use of administrative resources and transparency at every stage for truly free and fair elections “The 2005 parliamentary elections in Moldova fell short on some key commitments, particularly regarding equal access to the media and overall campaign conditions. In past elections in Gagauzia we have noted similar problems. It’s unlikely that anyone will be satisfied with the outcome of this year’s elections if we do not see a clear improvement in these areas”, O’Neil declared. Ambassador O’Neill emphasized the right to stand as a candidate as a fundamental principle of a genuinely democratic electoral process. “We will in this regard attentively study the case of Valeriy Ianioglo, who has been denied registration after a large number of signatures in support of his candidacy were disqualified by the Election Commission,” the Head of the OSCE Mission said. On October 17, the candidate on behalf of the electoral bloc “Patria-Rodian-Ravnopravie”, Valeriy Ianioglo presented to Gagauz CEC the necessary documents for registering his candidature, including 172 subscription lists with 6447 signatures in his favor. On October 23, the electoral authority rejected his candidature justifying the decision on the fact that the figure of valid signatures (4919) was smaller than the ceiling stipulated by the Law. The Party qualifies this decision as ungrounded, instituting legal proceedings against it. The representative of the party, Valentin Krylov told Info-Prim Neo that the sitting of the Appeal Court of Comrat which should have taken place on Friday was postponed for Monday, October 30. The elections in Gagauzia will take place on December 3, 2006. Until now, 4 candidates run for the office of region’s Bashkan.