Local NGOs Ensure Free and Fair Elections in Moldova
Eurasia Foundation’s partner NGOs in Moldova reported mixed results for their long-term election observation and media monitoring of the June 3rd local elections. Observers reported the ruling party (President Voronin’s Communist Party of Moldova) cooperated with NGOs and local media have been free to publish criticism. But according to the Association of Independent Press (API) and the Independent Journalism Center (ICJ), a number of public and private broadcasters favored the ruling party and avoided any on-air criticism. Opposition parties’ exposure was mostly limited to their own campaign advertising, because of a lack of coverage in the media.
The League for the Defense of Human Rights in Moldova (LADOM), an EF grantee, found a number of election abuses, including the intimidation of candidates and supporters by law enforcement agencies. LADOM also reported a lack of transparency in campaign finance and a lack of properly trained election officials.
EF has been instrumental in supporting grass-roots efforts to make these elections open and transparent. Partners API, IJC and LADOM are all part of Moldova’s Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections – Coalition 2007. The coalition’s success in monitoring this year’s local elections is due in large part to the valuable experience gained during Moldova’s parliamentary elections of 2005.
