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Moldova: Communists say to create best conditions for voting abro

July 03, 2009
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The Party of Communists (PCRM) proposes to create the best conditions, so that all citizens exercise their right to vote, no matter whether they stay in Moldova or abroad. PCRM representatives Vladimir Turcan and Grigore Petrenco made statements to this effect on Thursday. Turcan stressed that the Moldovans staying abroad will be able to vote at the polling stations opened at Moldova's diplomatic representations.

‘The election should meet three principles - freedom of the vote's expression, direct and secret vote - rules that can be guaranteed only at the headquarters of the Moldovan embassies or consulates from abroad. This is an international and European rule, based on the principle of the Vienna Convention from 1961, which Moldova is party to,’ Turcan said.

Turcan also said that the Moldovan authorities cannot open additional diplomatic representations as this fact is very costly. Petrenco rejected accusation that the right to vote of the Moldovans working abroad had allegedly been limited.

‘In 2001, the PCRM was in opposition, and 15 election bureaus were opened abroad, while there are 33 such bureaus now. Also, the participation in the voting of the Moldovans from abroad grew from 3,800 in 2001 to 16,766 at the latest parliamentary polls,’ Petrenco said.

Referring to wishes to open additional polling stations, the Communist MP said that no state opens election bureaus outside diplomatic missions. He denied statements by the opposition that the Moldovans from abroad would prefer to vote with the liberal parties.

Petrenco said that, for instance, at two polling stations in Italy, the Communists got more votes than the average number in Moldova.

Turcan said that there is a possibility to vote by Internet or mail in the international practice, but these are difficult to implement. Turcan voiced hope that the Moldovan workers from abroad, as usual, will go to vote in an organized way, and will express their choice, despite the fact that the Election Day, 29 July, will be a working day abroad.

The two communist MPs also referred to possibilities to exactly calculate the number of Moldovan citizens from abroad. Thus, different statistics show that their number vary from 100,000 to one million. But officially, in 2001, there were 253,000 Moldovans abroad, and according to the last population's census, there are 360,000-400,000 Moldovans abroad.

Moldpres (Moldova's State news agency)

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