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Moldovan Central Electoral Commission sanctions candidate Ion Ceban with warning for non-observance of Electoral Code

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has ruled to issue a warning to candidate Ion Ceban, registered on the electoral list of the ALTERNATIVA (ALTERNATIVE) Bloc, for failing to comply with the Electoral Code provisions regarding his suspension from his position with the starting of the electoral campaign.

The decision was made following a complaint filed by the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), which indicated that Ion Ceban, while campaigning, traveled abroad without suspending his duties from his current position. According to Article 16, paragraph (3) of the Electoral Code, candidates in conflict of interest or incompatibility situations, as well as those who might use administrative resources, are required to suspend their activities during the campaign, in order to ensure the fairness of the electoral process.

"The law is clear: candidates must suspend their duties, in order to prevent the use of administrative resources in the electoral campaign," the CEC emphasized in its decision.

During the session, Alexei Panis, the representative of the ALTERNATIVA Bloc, denied accusations regarding alleged political benefits got by this formation, led including by the suspended mayor of Chisinau. According to him, Ion Ceban did not travel to Italy "as mayor," but strictly "as a private individual".

In response, the CEC deputy head, Pavel Postica, presented an official response received from the Italian Embassy in Chisinau, indicating that Ion Ceban participated in meetings as the mayor of Chisinau.

At the same time, the CEC notified the General Police Inspectorate to examine the case also through potential illegal use of administrative resources.

At the same meeting, the Commission also reviewed two complaints filed by the ALTERNATIVA Bloc and the Patriotic Bloc of Socialists, Communists, Heart and Future of Moldova. Both targeted the redistribution on social networks of a post published on the page of the Embassy of Moldova in Ireland. Upon review, the complaints were rejected as unfounded.