Electoral campaign for republican referendum to start with participants' registration in Moldova

Chisinau, 18 December /MOLDPRES/ - The electoral campaign for the consultative republican referendum will start simultaneously with the registration of the participants in the electoral race. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC)  today approved a calendar schedule on the holding of the referendum from 24 February 2019.  

According to CEC head Alina Russu, the participants in the referendum are the political parties and electoral blocs. “The period of their registration begins on 26 December 2018, on the same day with the participants’ registration for the parliamentary polls. In the case of the referendum, the participants can start the electoral campaign from the moment of registration. They can make electoral campaign “for” or “against” on the subjects proposed,” Russu said.    

The CEC leadership stressed that, both in case of the parliamentary elections and in the case of the republican referendum, the registration period is of 30 calendar days. “Thus, on the period of 26 December 2018 – 24 January 2019, the contenders can come to CEC with the needed acts. Forty six parties can register in the electoral race for the parliamentary polls. At the same time, the electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections will start on 25 January, one month before the polls,” Alina Russu noted.  

At the referendum, citizens will have to answer two questions: whether they “agree with the cutting of the number of MPs from 101 to 61” and whether they agree that “the people can recall (dismiss) lawmakers from office, if they fail to fulfill their duties properly.”  

The referendum will be held on 24 February, on the same day with the parliamentary polls, due to be organized according to a mixed electoral system. Over ten million lei is needed to organize the national plebiscite and 110.2 million lei – to organize the parliamentary elections.