FIDH and LADOM concerned with procedural shortcomings during the election campaign and violence

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation, the League for the Defense of Human Rights in Moldova (LADOM) consider that the Parliamentary elections in Moldova failed to fully comply with international and regional human rights standards, in particular with the OSCE principles on the holding of elections, and that this failure contributed to create mistrust in the election's official results.

On April 5, 2009, voters in Moldova gathered to elect their Parliament. The International Election Observation Mission1 concluded that this Parliamentary election was "conducted mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards". FIDH notes with concern that during the campaign, its member organisation LADOM has reported several occurrences of intimidation and harassment of the electoral representatives and a lack of neutrality from the members of the local public administration. LADOM also observed instances when the public administration and law enforcement agencies had exerted administrative pressure voters, the media and observers. In its Preliminary Conclusions, the OSCE report that a number of serious procedural shortcomings took place during the election.

On Monday April 6, it became clear that the ruling communist party of Moldova had won the election, winning nearly 50% of the votes. On Tuesday April 7, 2009 the results have sparked what seem to be spontaneous anti-communist protests in the capital: young people took to the streets in protests that degenerated into clashes with the police, violence and looting.

FIDH and LADOM call on all parties not to resort to violence but to engage in an effective dialogue. Our organisations ask the Moldovan authorities to ensure the full respect of the rights of expression and of peaceful assembly of its citizens and their security and integrity.