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CIS-EMO observers not allowed into Moldova
16:42 / 01.02.2014

International Election Observers CIS-EMO have not been allowed to Moldova in Palanca (Stefan-Voda District, Moldova). CIS-EMO Information Department noted that the International Organization for election observation mission CIS-EMO (Commonwealth of the Independent States ― Election Monitoring Organization) were invited by the leadership of the Gagauz autonomy (Moldova) to monitor the referendum which will be held on February 2 in the autonomy.

Yesterday, 30 January, on the Ukrainian-Moldavian border (Palanca check point) CIS-EMO observers and Ukrainian journalists were forced to spend around three hours in bitter cold (-15 C) and wind. Their luggage and they personally were thoroughly searched by Moldavian officers. After this execution the observers were not allowed to enter Moldova. The reasons of the decision were not reported to the observers.

“It is the first time I came up against such a situation for my long-standing practice of election monitoring. Besides that, Moldova and Russia signed agreements on unimpeded crossing the border, even more our mission has been officially invited to the Gagauz autonomy, and we were accompanied by the head of administration of Ceadîr-Lunga. We are extremely outraged by such behavior of the Moldovan side to the international observers. It also does not fit declared by Moldova commitment to democracy, legitimacy and transparency. It is contrary to the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova in the framework of the agreement on security and cooperation in Europe, and tramples upon the agreement signed by the country within the package of the Association with the European Union,” CIS-EMO Head Alexander Bedritsky noted.

The CIS-EMO mission, in particular, was presented by the Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Federal Council, Vice-President of the Russian Society of Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity and Cooperation, a member of Public Scientific-Methodological Advisory Board in the CEC RF, multiple participant of the monitoring missions OSCE ODIHR Kim Koshev.

According to actual incident CIS-EMO Director sent a letter to ODIHR Director (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Janez Lenarčič with a formal complaint about the prevention the international CIS-EMO observers on a referendum in the autonomous territorial unit of Gagauzia.