Moldovan electoral body head explains reasons for exclusion of candidate from race

Chisinau, 6 May /MOLDPRES/ - Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Iurie Ciocan explained the main reasons for the exclusion of a candidate from the electoral  race.

Ciocan said the main ground was failure to comply with the election campaign financing conditions, stipulated in the Electoral Code.

Thus, deliberate use by the electoral candidate of undeclared financial funds and material means or exceeding the expenditure ceiling of the election fund, intentional use by the electoral candidate of funds from abroad may lead to its removal from the race.

"The investigation of these conditions is handled by the Interior Ministry, which subsequently sends the file with detected infringements to CEC. The Commission is analysing the file and submits it to court. The candidate's exclusion or remaining in race depends only on the decision of the latter," said Ciocan.

At the same time, under the law, a candidate may be excluded from the race, if it uses means and goods in electoral campaigns or if it uses images that represent state institutions or public authorities, materials containing historical personalities of Moldova, symbolism of foreign states or other parties on purpose of electoral advertising.

If a contender does not agree with the CEC decision to be removed from the electoral race, he/she may appeal the decision in court, getting up to the Supreme Court of Justice.

Earlier this week, the Communist Reformist Party was removed from the race by the CEC, following a decision by the Buiucani court of the Chisinau municipality. The court cancelled a  ruling by the Justice Ministry to register the Communist Reformists in the register of political parties, on grounds that they used almost identical symbols with the Party of Communists of Moldova.

 (Reporter C. Russu, Editor A. Raileanu)