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On 6 November, Promo-LEX launched its Third Report of the Election Monitoring Effort for the Parliamentary Elections on 30 November 2014. The document contains electoral findings collected and submitted by observes between 16 October and 5 November 2014, and aspects related to election finances. The analysis of campaign funding was conducted based on the financial reports of political parties, submitted to the CEC starting on 10 October, and compared with the field findings of election observers.

Central and local public authorities made considerable efforts to reduce the number of voters who donșt have identity bulletins. In the monitoring period, the CEC had a very intense schedule, and registered five additional candidates and rejected the application for registration of an independent candidate. The CEC also analyzed and decided on 14 contestations submitted by candidates, and accredited 1482 national and international election observers, of which 1321 observers are part of the Promo-LEX Monitoring Effort.

“Promo-LEX observers welcome the initiative shown by election candidates, that have had active campaign, with diverse campaigning activities. Thus, candidates used traditional campaigning tools such as meetings with voters, electoral concerts, and dissemination of campaign materials, street advertisement, and campaigning in the media. At the same time, we witnessed national and local campaign launches, sports activities, installation of tents with campaigning materials,” reads the report.

At the same time, Promo-LEX observers noted with concern the following trends with regard to campaign funding:

• 743 citizens contributed to campaign funds, to a total amount of 29,195,000 lei;
• None of the candidates published weekly report of their election revenues in national publications;
• Only one candidate (PCRM) transferred to the election account funds from the party account;
• Three of 15 candidates (PL, PFP, PDA) submitted campaign funding reports with zero revenues and expenses;
• 85.2% of expenses went to campaign advertisement and posters, and approximately 13% were spent on transportation;
• Only three of 15 candidates (PP ”Patria”, PSRM and MPA) included transportation expenses in their financial reports;
• None of the candidates reported their real expenditures for renting premises, payment of hired labor, compensations and utilities for their campaign offices, although Promo-LEX observers in the field found at least 226 offices.
• None of the candidates reached the funding ceiling of 55 million lei established by the CEC. A single candidate reached 18.47% of the set funding ceiling.

Also, the Promo-LEX Monitoring Effort registered the following deficiencies in the electoral process:

• Certain deficiencies in the functioning and validity of data in the State Voter Register and the level of professionalism of those in the field in charge of managing the Register;
• Violation of legal provisions on the Broadcasting Coordination Council reporting to the CEC, and insufficient regulation on behalf of the BCC of the use of free air time with the national and public broadcasters;
• Failure to observe regulations about campaign posters, and failure of at least 419 APL to manage the situation regarding electoral posters, namely to establish and set up outdoor sites for campaign posters;
• Granting access to premises for electoral meetings in absence of respective decisions/authorizations by local public authorities;
• Negative or derogatory campaigning activities;
• Electoral gifts and use of administrative resources;
• At least eight election-related incidents.

The electronic version of the Report here.

As regards the media coverage of the election campaign, the Promo-LEX Monitoring Effort notes that only four candidates make up the main subjects of election-related publications in the local and regional media outlets.

For additional information please contact: Galina Sanduța, Press Officer, Promo-LEX Election Monitoring Effort, GSM: 069 95 82 89,  Email: [email protected]