Promo-LEX association of Moldova identifies 56 incidents at regional elections

The Promo-LEX Association has identified 56 confirmed incidents during the elections in the Autonomous Territorial Unit (UTA) of Gagauzia. The reported irregularities include violations of the procedures for voting with a mobile ballot box, ballot secrecy, the presence of unauthorized persons near polling stations, organized transportation and cases of electoral campaigning. The head of the observation mission, Nicolae Panfil, presented relevant information today.

During a news briefing, the head of the Promo-LEX Association said that the teams had completed monitoring the procedures for voting with a mobile ballot box at the Ceadar-Lunga and Comrat district hospitals, as well as at the homes of voters in the locality of Bugeac.

„At the time of leaving the polling stations, in all three cases, the Z mark had not been applied to the electoral lists before the team left the premises, as required by the instructions. As for the voting in healthcare institutions, ballot secrecy was not ensured in certain situations. The members of the Electoral Bureau of the Polling Station (EBPS) and hospital representatives did not influence voters’ choices. Most voters at the healthcare institutions voted for the election of the governor. In at least one case, the EBPS members did not take the voting booth with them to ensure ballot secrecy. Regarding mobile ballot box voting at home, the main problems included the failure to ensure ballot secrecy, because EBPS members did not take the voting booths with them or left them in the vehicle,” he said.

Nicolae Panfil reported two cases involving advertising materials, displays and electoral billboards in the vicinity of polling stations.

„The responsibility for removing the advertising materials lies with the Local Public Administration. This measure aims to protect voters from external influences when casting their ballots. Also, three cases of electoral campaigning or negative campaigning were recorded within 100 metres of or inside the polling station, meant to influence citizens’ choices. On election day, any form of electoral campaigning or promotion of negative information is strictly prohibited, in order not to influence voters’ choices. In addition, in ten cases, the unjustified presence of unauthorized persons inside the polling station or within a 100-metre radius was established. This prohibition aims to ensure the fairness and transparency of the electoral process, without any undue influence,” Nicolae Panfil said.

The head of the observation mission reported that seven cases involving violations of ballot secrecy had been recorded. They included photographing ballots, displaying a marked ballot and improper placement of ballots that allowed the voter’s choice to be seen.

„Citizens are not allowed to take photographs of completed ballots or show their ballots and ballots must be placed in the ballot box in a way that does not make their choices visible. Likewise, unjustified group voting was reported in 21 cases. Voting must be secret and freely expressed, while group voting violates these principles and may represent a means of exerting control or improper influence over voters. In two cases, observers’ access was restricted or the process of freely observing the polling station was obstructed. It is essential that observers be able to monitor the conduct of elections, in order to ensure their transparency and fairness,” Nicolae Panfil said.

The observers also reported one case of the organized transportation of voters and one case of intimidation.

„Intimidation can take various forms, from verbal threats to physical violence, and can have a significant impact on participants in the electoral process. A case of the unjustified suspension of voting at a polling station was also established. Any interruption of the voting process must be justified, documented by the chairperson of the polling station and communicated to the competent authorities. In two other cases, deficiencies in the electoral lists were identified. In addition, two cases of voting with non-compliant identity documents were reported. Thus, electoral legislation establishes the types of identity documents that may be used for voting, which must be valid, with the exceptions provided for by the Electoral Code,” he noted.

The mission’s representatives also reported different approaches to abandoned ballots.

„In at least two polling stations, EBPS members identified ballots abandoned in voting booths without stamps having been applied. In the absence of clear regulations, they proceeded differently: at one polling station, the ballot was annulled, while at the other, it was placed in the ballot box. We recommend clarifying and regulating the procedure for handling ballots abandoned in voting booths, in order to avoid differing interpretations and inconsistent practices,” Nicolae Panfil specified.

For election day, the Promo-LEX Association delegated one short-term observer to each of 67 polling stations. In addition to the stationary observers, the mission deployed five mobile teams, each made up of two observers, to monitor the electoral process at polling stations.

Elections today are taking place in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia for the position of member of the People’s Assembly and for the position of Governor (bashkan) of the region. There are 132 candidates registered for the 35 seats of the People’s Assembly, while eight people are running for governor.