Report on assessing legislation staying at basis of invalidation of local polls in Chisinau unveiled in parliament

Chisinau, 8 November /MOLDPRES/ - The report on the analysis, expertise and assessment of the electoral legislation, which stayed at the basis of the invalidation of the local polls from Chisinau, was unveiled in parliament’s plenum today.   

The head of the juridical commission for rules and immunities, Raisa Apolschi,  presented the report.

Under the report, the analysis showed that “the silence day” is not regulated in the same way in the international practice and its removal will not affect the principles laid down in the electoral matters. Thus, the commission in charge proposes to remove from the legislation the restrictions dealing with the electoral agitation on the day before the elections and on the election day, excepting the polling station and the perimeter in their immediate neighbourhood.     

At the same time, the report recommends the regulation of the electoral advertising services, electoral debates on Internet and social networks, as well as of clear-cut provisions for fighting the propaganda on the Internet, especially the prevention and combating of the flow of fake news.   

At the same time, it is ascertained that the decision on the cancellation of the local elections had at least 32 precedents in Moldova in the last 19 years, according to statistics by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). Also, the analysis and the data received by the judicial commission for rules and immunities showed that the legislation in force is sufficient and meets all international standards for holding free, fair and democratic polls.   

On 25 June 2018, magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice maintained the decision by the Court of Appeal and declared the new local polls in Chisinau as illegal and null and the mayor mandate was not validated. The main reason represented the lives made by the elected mayor, Andrei Nastase, on the election day, by which he urged citizens to come to vote. CEC confirmed the invalidation of the local polls in the Moldovan capital and ruled that a new ballot would not be held ahead of the general local elections due in 2019.

The new local polls in Chisinau took place in two rounds, on 20 May and 3 June.

(Reporter A. Zara, editor M. Jantovan)