Public Policy Institute says exit polls were correct and transparent

The exit polls carried out in Moldova in the April 5 and July 29 legislative elections were correct and transparent, the director of the European Institute for Political Studies Viorel Cibotaru said Monday during a national seminar themed “Exit-Poll in 2009 Parliamentary Elections”. Cibotaru, who is an expert of the Public Policy Institute (IPP), which commissioned the exit poll, said that the exactness of the used methods is beyond doubt. “Those that carry out such polls cannot be accused of tricks or games in somebody’s favor. It is the politicians and the national and international observers who should provide explanations as regards vote rigging and identify the causes of the irregularities committed at polling places,” Cibotaru said. “The people are interested in exit polls as they want to find out the preliminary election results or a forecast as soon as possible, this being the major task of the exit polls,” said Arcadie Barbarosie, the executive director of the IPP. Barbarosie said that only such a survey can answer important questions that are of interest to the society. This poll analyzes and compares the preference of the young people, how they voted in the 2005, 2007 and 2009 elections. According to Barbarosie, the exit poll is only a survey that presents the preliminary results and has no impact on the electorate. According to a public opinion barometer, only 0.6% of the population follows the polls. Therefore, they are intended more for politicians. About 600-700 persons were involved in the exist polls conducted this year, including field operators and teams of the institutions that formed the Exit Poll consortium. An exit poll cost about US$145,000, Viorel Cibotaru said. The first exit poll in Moldova was carried out in the legislative elections of 2005, then in the 2007 local elections in Chisinau and in April and July this year. The project “For More Transparent and Fair Elections: Exit Poll 2009” was supported financially by Eurasia Foundation from the resources provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the United States Agency for International Development, as part of the electoral activities carried out by “Coalition 2009”.