Some of the parties with candidates who will run in the June 14 local elections could resort to foreign propaganda in the campaign prior to the elections. The issue was developed in the talk show “Fabrika” on Publika TV channel, IPN reports.
Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Moldova Free International University Alexandru Cauia considers foreign propaganda is not excluded as long as it is not banned by law. “In the competition for the mayoralty of Balti and Chisinau, the Russian mass media can be used to the maximum. High-ranking Russian officials could come to Moldova with messages about our religious and historical identity, similar to the messages used in the election campaign of 2014 and in the campaign that preceded the Bashkan elections in Gagauzia,” he stated.
Journalist Valentin Buda also considers the use of foreign propaganda in the local elections is possible. “The political parties used up their human resources. It’s hard to identify now a good manager for a large city. Therefore, the foreign propaganda will be of great use to some of the parties. But it would be ridiculous for a public TV channel from Russia to become involved in direct propaganda for a Moldovan city,” he said.
The program’s permanent invitee Cristian Tabara said the Russian TV channels in the campaign preceding the local elections will use the same messages as in the previous elections and in the Gagauz elections. “The competition for the mayoralty of Chisinau is a very important one and Moscow cannot neglect it. Chisinau is a strategic point where the main human and economic resources and the political activity are concentrated. If Moscow wants to keep its influence in Moldova, it will use the necessary resources to influence the results of the elections in such cities as Chisinau and Balti,” he stated.
