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Chisinau, August 25, 2009. Promo-LEX Association launched the final report on the monitoring of the campaign for the July 29, 2009. The monitoring was done in 7 electoral constituencies. Monitored period: June 16 – July 29, 2009

The Promo-LEX monitoring effort is pleased to note an increased interest shown by voters from the monitored area for the 29 July 2009 election. At the same time, certain disturbing trends and patterns were noted, which affected the quality of the electoral process in the monitored region.

In the monitored area, the election largely failed to meet the exigencies of a competitive process that would be comparable with the electoral practices in countries with longstanding democratic traditions, due to a tense atmosphere, unlevel field, and violations and discretional interpretation of procedures by electoral bodies and contestants. Voter lists constitute the basis of properly organized elections. In the monitored area, it was noted that the compilation, verification, use and storage of voter lists constituted a faulty practice, and affected the credibility of the entire process.

A selective accreditation of international observation missions and a systematic harassment of accredited international observers are clear derogations from Moldova’s international commitments, particularly to the OSCE. Intimidation of voters and national observers by the local authorities and electoral bodies leaves an unfavorable mark of suspicion with regard to the transparency of the authorities’ actions. Disrupting the operation of an international observation mission only confirms such suspicions.

Approximately nine percent of the total of Moldovan voters, residents of the Transnistrian region, continued to be isolated from the electoral process in the country. Electoral contestants did not conduct campaigning activities in the breakaway region, and the authorities did not use all the possible means to fully enfranchise this group of voters.

The use of public offices and resources for electoral purposes blurs the line between the activity of the state and that of the ruling party, which is in contradiction with the fundamental norms of democratic rule and violates the principle of equal opportunities. To a lesser extent, the same lack of a clear delimitation between the activities of public authorities and the campaign activities of electoral contestants is noted at a local level.

The Promo-LEX Association monitored, in the period between 16 June and 29 July 2009, the early parliamentary elections of 29 July 2009 – including the pre-electoral period, the legal framework and the Election Day – in the Transnistrian region of Moldova and the neighboring rayons (territorial districts): Floresti, Rezina, Dubasari, Anenii Noi, Causeni, and Stefan Voda. The Promo-LEX monitoring effort deployed observers to 249 polling stations of the total of 1987 polling stations opened across the country. The monitored area is populated by approximately 530 thousand voters, which accounts for approximately 20 percent of the total number of voters in Moldova, and includes the Transnistrian region.

The Promo-LEX monitoring effort would like to acknowledge the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the financial support and technical assistance provided for the good implementation of this effort.

DOC – FINAL REPORT MONITORING EARLY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 29 JULY 2009