International Help needed: Moldovan opposition claims election fraud

An open letter written by politicians representing a wide spectrum of the opposition in Moldova was sent to international institutions, alleging serious misconduct committed by the current government in Moldova during the electoral period. A full list of signatories is listed below at the end of this open letter.

The opposition is calling on international institutions to help restore the rule of law in the Republic of Moldova. The open letter labels the current government as an “unimaginable dictatorship”. Moreover, it makes an appeal to international institutions to help restore democratic values. The opposition alleges multiple violations of electoral misconduct committed by the Sandu-PAS administration during the electoral process for presidential elections and the EU referendum in the two-page statement signed by many opposition politicians.

The letter accuses current president Maia Sandu and her PAS party of dominating all areas of social, economic, and political life in an authoritarian manner. The authors allege that Sandu and her party members and bureaucrats used “false and deceitful narratives about so-called Eastern propaganda” to shut down opposition parties and “all the state's captured institutions have launched an unprecedented attack on everyone with a different opinion and against all political opponents”.

The letter is addressed to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Tiny Kox, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ian Borg, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, and OSCE Director Matteo Mecacci and are all informed about the forced removal of several opponents of the current regime from the political scene, including the "SHOR" and "CHANCE" parties. The first was declared unconstitutional while the second was first prohibited from participating in the local elections and later in the presidential campaign and referendum. The legal appeals for banning these political parties and politicians is ongoing.

The opposition representatives claim that the persecution and harassment of ‘inconvenient individuals’ was the main weapon of the current government in Chisinau, with the goal of eliminating any political competitor and securing victory through fraud on October 20.

Opposition politicians have also accused the Central Electoral Commission of becoming highly politicized, due to the appointment of 6 members by Sandu’s ruling PAS party.

Becoming an instrument in the government's fight against the opposition, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) refused to register an electoral bloc and several independent candidates. Additionally, it either prohibited or delayed the opening of bank accounts for inconvenient candidates The list of abuses is completed by Maia Sandu and PAS's use of all possible administrative resources to conduct an electoral campaign.
“PAS is heavily using millions of lei from budget funds to finance its own campaign (they changed the law to suit their needs), while funding is prohibited for the other opponents,” the letter states.

The opposition listed other abuses as well, such as bribing voters by granting one-time allowances to pensioners just a few days before the elections, incitement to hatred and discrimination, the abusive refusal to broadcast the opposition's electoral advertisements, and the intense promotion of Maia Sandu on television, including on the public television channel, while denigrating opponents. The involvement of police authorities in the electoral process was also condemned, including preventing meetings with voters, the abusive detention of campaigners, the illegal confiscation of electoral materials, and blocking the printing and distribution of electoral materials, among other actions.

It was also pointed out that the political opponents of the regime are constantly monitored by the security services, and donors who have made transfers to opposition parties are being persecuted.

Another flagrant abuse is the discrimination against citizens living abroad—only 2 polling stations were opened for over half a million voters in Russia, while the number of polling stations for those in Western countries amounts to several dozen.

Complaints filed against the violations committed by PAS and Maia Sandu are being ignored by the CEC, while other electoral candidates are harshly sanctioned for minor violations.

"The prosecution and police authorities have initiated concerted actions to criminally persecute thousands of citizens through abusive summonses and hearings, searches, fines, detentions, and even preventive arrests based on fabricated facts and false accusations," the letter also states.

The most serious violation, according to the opposition, is the illegal registration of Maia Sandu as a candidate for the PAS party.

"Electoral legislation and the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court require the sitting president to be independent and apolitical. Maia Sandu should have run solely as an independent candidate. The Central Electoral Commission refused to address the complaints related to this issue," noted representatives of the opposition forces.

They also condemned censorship in the media by shutting down 14 TV stations from 2022 and blocking dozens of web portals.
In light of all the aforementioned points, the opposition has requested the immediate involvement of development partners to put an end to the abuses.

"We appeal to Your Excellencies for urgent intervention to stop the abuses of the PAS government in Chișinău, to prevent political persecution, to ensure the immediate release of political prisoners, to return to the principles of a democratic, pluralistic rule of law, and to guarantee a democratic electoral process in accordance with the international commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova," is the final appeal. It is up now to International Organizations to save democracy in Moldova.

Signed by:

1. Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Executive Secretary of the Executive Committee of the opposition Political Bloc “Victory” – Marina Tauber
2. Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Political Bloc “Victory” – Vadim Fotescu
3. The non - commercial Organization President ,,Congress of the Russian Communities” – Valerii Climenco
4. The Political Party President ,,Alternative and Saving Force for Moldova”- Alexandr Beschieru
5. Emeritus Artist of Moldova – Avelin Tabarcea
6. Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova,vice - President of the Parliamentary Group “Victory”– Reghina Apostolova
7. Director of the theoretical lyceum “Natalia Gheorghiu” – Irina Bogaciuc
8. The Political Party President ,,Chance” – Alexei Lungu
9. The Political Party Member ,,Chance” – Cristina Vulpe
10. Municipal Councilor, municipality Bălți – Veaceslav Zhukov
11. The Party President ,,Renaissance”– Natalia Parasca
12. Former candidate for the mayor function in the municipality Bălți– Victoria Șapa

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