The U.S. Embassy in Moldova said the Supreme Court of Justice’s decision to uphold the invalidation of the June 3 Chisinau mayoral election results reinforced the public’s perception of political interference in the judiciary of the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.

In a press release, the Embassy said it noted the Supreme Court of Justice’s decision to uphold the invalidation of the June 3 Chisinau mayoral election results. Free, fair, and transparent elections are the foundations of any democracy and must comply with international norms.

Any alleged irregularities should be addressed in a way that respects the rule of law and democratic principles of government, including the will of the people as expressed through elections. Judicial independence is a key democratic principle, and today’s ruling has reinforced the public’s perception of political interference in the judiciary of the Republic of Moldova.

The Supreme Court of Justice upheld the Chisinau Appeals Court’s decision to not validate the election of Andrei Nastase as mayor of Chisinau. The hearing started in the afternoon of June 25 and lasted until late evening. In the period, sympathizers of Andrei Nastase demanded that the Court should validate the June 3 Chisinau mayoral election results in front of the building of the Supreme Court of Justice and made accusations of usurpation of power against the government. The protesters agreed to resume the protests early in the morning at the Chisinau City Hall.