alegeri.md

Hyde Park NGO voiced its “deep disappointment and mistrust with the CEC… after on July 8, 2005 cancelled the accreditation of 14 independent observers delegated by Hyde Park, and refused accrediting another three national observers to the district electoral councils”.

A press release issued by the organisation reads: “after monitoring for two months mass media coverage of elections, Hyde Park found many violations of the law and of the journalists’ code of ethics, while authorities did not follow on them to sanction those violations. On the eve of the elections we face artificial and illegal barriers in our access to information. By refusing to accredit us as observers, our fundamental right to civic participation was violated”.

The reason for withdrawing the accreditation “As I learned from the journalists who were present at the CEC session, was the police report that I, Oleg Brega, whistled President Voronin on July 7 during an authorized protest rally…”

Chairperson of the “Peoples’ Resistance”, Maya Laguta, made an appeal reading: “In view of supporting our citizens strive for human rights, the Committee for «Peoples’ Resistance» informs that on July 10, on election day, residents of the apartment bloc on str. Ipolit Soroceanu, 73/2 would block polling stations of the city. They decided to take this step since the aforesaid bloc has been illegally disconnected from electricity for four years…”

Chisinau District Electoral Council passed a resolution thereby “citizens refusing «voted» stamp to be applied in their ID would be denied the right to vote”. Upon applying stamp members of the polling station bureau would indicate the date of voting and would sign.

In view of July 10 elections, 284 polling stations were opened in Chisinau municipality, including 50 in 18 suburb localities. Election results shall be tabulated by “MoldData” together with Chisinau Mayoralty personnel. (BASA-press)

Official web page of the State Duma reported that on July 8 Duma passed an address to the Russian Prime-Minister with the vote of 414 deputies. They called Prime-Minister to examine the possibility of raising the tariffs on natural gas for GUAM and Baltic states. Deputies insisted world market prices to be set on natural gas delivered to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Currently, the price on gas delivered to aforesaid countries ranges from $ 50–80, while to EU countries $ 160 USD per thousand-cubic-metres. Consequently, state budget accrues loses worth billions of Rubbles. On top of that, lately there are numerous cases of arrears in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Curiously, the State Duma address comes on the eve of Chisinau Mayor Elections, exactly as it happened with the threats of imposing economic sanctions on Moldova two weeks prior March 2005 parliamentary elections. Back in February the treats stemmed from Duma’s disapproval of Moldovan approach towards Transdniestria. The February resolutions on Moldova were preceded by the visit of ultra-nationalistic Duma deputies to Tiraspol. This time however, Chief of Russian Presidency Department for Inter-regional and Cultural Relations Abroad, Modest Kolerov paid a visit to Tiraspol. He “blessed” the international youth corporation “Proriv” striving to “fight Voronin’s totalitarian regime and recognize Transdniestria internationally”. Interestingly enough, on the day Russian Duma addressed Prime-Minister, Transdniestrian “Proriv” together with Ukrainian ultra-nationalist “Bratstvo” staged protest rallies burning the puppets of Vladimir Voronin and George Bush.

The difference between the Russian State Duma appeals in February and the most recent one is that the former envisaged particularly Moldova. Such a big honour for Moldova to be high on the agenda three times in two weeks! The most recent one envisages Baltic states and three GUAM countries. This gives some grounds for concern, i.e. decrease in Moldova’s weight in relations with Russia, especially when applying “the last argument” — price on gas in exchange for “care for Russian speakers residing in Moldova”.