Moldovan electoral body demands opening of 139 polling stations abroad

Chisinau, 26 September /MOLDPRES/ - The Central Electoral Commission (CEC), at a today’s meeting, approved the opening of 139 polling stations outside Moldova.  

According to data unveiled by the head of the central electoral administration, Dorin Cimil, on 16 September, 60,030 Moldovan citizens preliminarily registered for participation in the electoral process due on 1 November 2020.

Thus, 31 polling stations are to be opened in Italy, 17 in Russia, 13 in Romania, 12 in the USA, 8 in France, 7 in the United Kingdom, 6 in Germany, 5 in Spain; four polling stations will be opened in Canada and Ireland each, 3 in Portugal. Two polling stations will be opened in Belgium, Israel, Turkey and Ukraine each. One polling station will be opening in Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria,the Czech Republic, China, Cyprus, Denmark, EAU, Switzerland, Estonia, Greece, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Sweden and Hungary each.  

Dorin Cimil noted that, according to data put out by the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry, several states did not allow the opening of additional polling stations and reasoned this by the current pandemic situation. The State of Israel, for instance, did not allow the opening of a polling station in the Haifa city.

At the same time, the official also said that the financial resources allocated for the organization of the electoral process abroad covered the needed amount for the opening of 145 polling stations.

Under the electoral legislation, the setting up of polling stations abroad is made by 35 days before the polls at the latest.