Call for a Free and Fair Campaign and Election in Moldova

On March 6, the citizens of Moldova will vote in parliamentary elections. Since gaining independence in 1991, Moldova has had a good record of conducting parliamentary elections in accordance with international democratic standards. However, recent trends are disturbing. Reports of biased coverage in the public media, harassment of the opposition by police, intimidation of independent civil society groups, and use of public resources for campaign purposes are cause for particular concern and could cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election. We note that a free and fair election is about more than just a smoothly and legally administered election day. International standards for democratic elections include a level playing field for all candidates and parties in the pre-election period. In the international community’s overall assessment of the Moldovan elections, the campaign environment will be as important as the conduct of election day.

We support the European Union’s February 9 statement calling on the Moldovan authorities to conduct an open and fair election campaign, with unbiased, pluralist media coverage of all parties and candidates, and even-handedness shown by the state administration towards all candidates and their supporters. We also echo the European Union’s call for the Moldovan government to pay special attention to the areas of concern outlined by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in its needs assessment mission. The U.S. welcomes Moldova’s invitation for international teams to observe the upcoming elections, and we are preparing to send a contingent as part of the Organization’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights effort.

As in all countries, the U.S. supports a free and fair democratic process, not any particular candidate or party. We appeal to Moldova’s leadership to take immediate, decisive action to remove any doubts about the fairness of the campaign and election. We hope that this election will be conducted in a manner that confirms Moldova’s commitment to the values of the Euro-Atlantic community of democracies, and creates the conditions under which the United States can most effectively support Moldova’s further development along the path towards a prosperous, European future.

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