Promo-LEX Observation Mission signals new incidents concerning holding of presidential elections, referendum in Moldova

Chisinau, 20 October /MOLDPRES/ - The Observation Mission of the Promo-LEX Association till 19:00 received over 1,000 signalings of incidents as regards the holding of the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum.   

Most cases, 72, relate to the infringement of the secret of vote, especially through photographing of the ballot paper. The top of incidents is continued by ones concerning deficiencies in electoral lists, with 25 such cases reported. In one of these incidents, more electors living in the Birladeni settlement, northern Ocnita district, did not find their names in the basic electoral lists and voted being included in additional lists. At the same time, two women voters from the Moldovan capital identified in the electoral lists the names of their husbands who had died long ago. A similar case took place at a polling station from the Buiucani district of Chisinau, where one voter approached to exercise his right vote and noticed in the list the name of a relative who had died some time ago.        

Unjustified group voting was registered in 22 cases. At the same time, the observers documented six cases regarding situation of material or financial rewards provided to voters in exchange to the vote. ‘’At 15:00, some voters said that 400 lei was provided to vote, but the candidate was not specified. Also, at the polling station from the Hagimus village, Causeni district, electors are carried and 350 lei is provided to them for the voting in favour of a candidate nominated by a political party,’’ a press release of Promo-LEX reads.  

Another case was signaled in the Cocieri village. The Promo-LEX observers spoke to several groups of 4-5 persons each, who were leaving the asylum from the settlement. These people said that they had been sent by the asylum’s social assistant to vote for a certain candidate, after which they will be remunerated with money.

Nearby a polling station meant for the voters from the left bank of Dniester, a Promo-LEX observer was taken for a representative of a candidate for the presidential elections and he would have demanded a reward of 500 lei for the vote for a certain candidate. At the same time, the observers signaled that, in a settlement, a representative of a political entity provided a sum of 500 lei to vote for one candidate.    

In Straseni, a voter turned unwell in the precincts of a polling station. He managed only to sign in the electoral lists, but did not manage to vote. A member of the electoral bureau called the ambulance and the ballot papers were cancelled.    

The organized carriage of voters was reported by observers in three cases. In one of these cases, some electors who live in Bender said that transport was organized for voting at the polling station from Calfa, Anenii Noi district. At the same time, at 11:20, a mini-bus was noticed, which was carrying voters, in an organized way, from the Odaia and Afumati villages of the Nisporeni district to the Siscani village, at the polling station. Asking a voter who got out of the mini-bus about the cost of the travel ticket, he said that he had paid nothing and did not know who had organized the carriage.     

For the day of election, Promo-LEX delegated by one observer for short term to 614 polling stations, selected based on a sample established by a sociological company. Besides, by one static observer was sent to those 30 polling stations where the electors from the Transnistrian region exercise their right to vote. Special attention is paid to the polling stations from abroad, where 91 static observers were delegated.  

Besides the static observers, Promo-LEX detached 89 mobile teams, in order to monitor the electoral process at the polling stations which are not comprised in the sample. The mobile teams will observe the ways of access to polling stations, including for the ones where the electors from the Transnistrian region will vote.