CEC responds to call for a republican referendum: It would not be possible this year
The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) states that a republican referendum on Moldova's foreign policy vector would not be possible before the end of this year. The CEC refers to the provisions of the Electoral Code which impose certain restrictions on the organisation of referendums in view of the general local elections to be held this autumn. The referendum demanded by supporters of the political party Șor, according to experts, is nothing more than an attempt to keep Moldova under Russian influence.
Dinu Turcanu, president of Orhei district and one of the party's leaders, told Radio Moldova that the party intends to hold the plebiscite by the end of the year.
"An initiative group has been set up and we are going to take all the necessary steps, to go to the CEC, in accordance with the legislation in force. Certainly as soon as possible, even sooner than by the end of the year," Turcanu said.
The Electoral Code provides for a number of restrictions in the conduct of the republican referendum. These include a ban on holding it 60 days before or after the elections. In addition, a deadline of at least two months is set for collecting at least 100,000 signatures. In other words, such a referendum would not be possible this year, commented the secretary of the Central Electoral Commission, Alexandr Berlinschi.
"If we take a calendar, the deadline for collecting signatures cannot be less than two months. Let's admit that they collect in two months, submit them to the Central Electoral Commission. The Commission has 30 days to check them, so it's three months. Let's assume that they submit it to Parliament and give the green light to hold the referendum, which cannot take place earlier than 60 days, another two months. So we have: two, months, three months - 5 months. And let's take into account that restriction that the republican referendum cannot take place 60 days before or after a national election. We have general local elections in the autumn," said Alexandr Berlinschi, CEC secretary.
The initiative of the Șor Party is contrary to the provisions of the Declaration of Independence and aims to keep Moldova in the Russian sphere of influence, says constitutional expert Alexandru Arseni.
"What he is aiming for - to keep us under Moscow's domination, that is the goal. This initiative is contrary to the provisions of the Declaration of Independence because the Declaration of Independence says that the people are free to decide their fate in the ethnic and historical space of their national development - this is the course set by the Declaration of Independence," the expert said.
The Șor political party organised anti-government rallies in the municipalities of Balti, Orhei and Comrat, calling for a consultative republican referendum to determine Moldova's external vector.
The actions took place at the same time as the "European Moldova" National Assembly, convened by President Maia Sandu, in favour of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, which, according to the police, was attended by more than 75 thousand citizens.
