The observers of Promo-LEX Association have identified at least 23 cases of use of administrative resources. Fifteen of these cases involve incumbent President Igor Dodon, who was registered as an independent candidate. Another seven cases involve the Shor Party’s candidate Violeta Ivanov, while one case, the Party of Action and Solidarity’s candidate Maia Sandu, shows the third monitoring report of the observation mission of Promo-LEX, IPN reports.

In a news conference, the mission’s head Pavel Postica said there are situations when it is impossible to delimit the professional duties from campaign activities. In the case of Igor Dodon, two situations refer to meetings and discussions with the President of Russia and the President of Turkey. Ten situations refer to the conferring of state awards by the President.

“In 2020, according to the analysis carried out by observers of Promo-LEX, President Dodon issued decrees to confer 43% of all the awards provided during the last four years of his term in office. Furthermore, we noticed that many of the decrees to confer awards were signed in the spring and summer of 2020, but the solemn presentation of these was organized closer to the electoral period. This is somehow against the ordinary practice, when the state awards were solemnly conferred on the occasion of national or professional holidays,” noted Pavel Postica.

In other cases of use of administrative resources, merits were assumed for works or services executed or provided with public funds. Also, the public post was used in promotional activities of an electoral character and employees of the local public authorities were involved in activities of an electoral character.

The observers of Promo-LEX reported at least three cases of use of images of foreign officials and of state institutions for electoral purposes. Two of the cases involved Igor Dodon, while one case – Maia Sandu.