In Moldova, the Central Election Commission (CEC) excluded the “Heart of Moldova” party from the electoral race after the Central Court of Appeal ruled to restrict the party’s activity for 12 months. The CEC decision also excludes the party from the “patriotic bloc” led by former president and leader of the Party of Socialists of Moldova Igor Dodon.
The decision to exclude from the electoral race the “Heart of Moldova” party, headed by former Bashkan of Gagauzia Irina Vlah, was adopted with six votes in favour and three against at the CEC session on 26 September.
The “heart of Moldova” party denounced the “cruel decision” to exclude it from the electoral race, which it said was “the last act of a political show” to “silence it”.
CEC deputy chairman Pavel Postice said that after the exclusion of candidates from the “heart of Moldova” party, the “patriotic” electoral bloc should revise and complete the list of candidates in order to fulfil the criterion related to gender balance.
During the CEC session, members and sympathisers of the electoral bloc “patriotic” protested, accusing the authorities of trying to eliminate “inconvenient opponents” from the electoral race. The party representatives also said that such a situation would demonstrate the restriction of political rights and the intention to reduce competition in the election campaign.
“The patriotic “electoral bloc consisted of the Party of Socialists, the party of Irina Vlah, the party” Moldova’s future” led by former Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, and the Party of Communists of former President Vladimir Voronin.
The activity of the “heart of Moldova” party was restricted after the Central Court of Appeal ruled on 25 September on the request of the Ministry of Justice.
The ministry, which was reported to the CEC, requested the decision after the electoral body found that the party benefited from illegal campaign financing for the 28 September parliamentary elections. Iryna Vlah denied the allegations and denounced the “clearly political” decision.