Failure to sanction hate speech had negative impact on 2020 election process -Moldovan electoral body head says

Chisinau, 12 February /MOLDPRES/- Central Electoral Commission head Dorin Cimil believes that the failure to sanction hate speech or incitement to hatred had a negative impact on the presidential electoral process.

In an interview with a radio station yesterday, Dorin Cimil said that the Moldovan parliament still has arrears in amending and supplementing the Electoral Code.

"In August 2020, MPs voted in first reading on draft 263, which has the note of the Venice Commission and the OSCE / ODIHR, but did not adopt the draft in second reading. The analysis of the electoral process that took place in the presidential election shows that not adopting the changes had a negative impact on the electoral process - it is about regulating and penalizing hate speech or racist, sexist or other assessments in the election campaign," he said.

He pointed out that to ensure the turnout of all Moldovan citizens, including those abroad, Parliament should set up postal voting and electronic voting. "An alternative to the actual vote can be mail voting or electronic voting. These two alternatives are the most convenient for the situation of the Republic of Moldova because they involve expenses that can be covered ", he said.

He noted that a full analysis of last year's electoral process will take place at the post-election conference, due on February 18-19.