Resolution Political Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova

dated October 29, 2024

On the Results of the Referendum

The Political Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova notes that the conduct of the constitutional referendum in the Republic of Moldova was marred by numerous violations, abuses, and, in many cases, open falsifications by the authorities.

The Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova was one of ten parties officially registered by the Central Electoral Commission to participate in the referendum and one of only two that urged a «NO» vote. Despite holding official registration, the party’s campaigning capabilities were severely restricted by the authorities and affiliated organizations.

The public broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova” refused, without explanation, to air the PCRM’s campaign video featuring an address by the party’s chairman, former President of the Republic of Moldova Vladimir Voronin. Police officers illegally confiscated a batch of leaflets, which had been lawfully printed and paid for based on an official contract with a printing house. Additionally, there were frequent instances of party activists being detained and their campaign materials confiscated, as well as intimidation of local government and business leaders in places where meetings with voters were planned. Consequently, electoral competitors in the referendum were placed at an unequal advantage, which violates the Constitution, electoral legislation, and a number of international treaties and conventions—a fact also reflected in the preliminary report of OSCE observers on the presidential and republican referendum elections.

We are also compelled to acknowledge blatant discrimination against voters. While in Western Europe and North America, the number of polling stations was significantly increased, and in many countries, postal voting was made available for Moldovan citizens, in Russia, only two polling stations were opened, both in Moscow, under the pretext of a lack of bomb shelters. This is despite the fact that the largest Moldovan diaspora, officially estimated at around half a million people, resides in the Russian Federation. We believe this discriminatory approach—dividing Moldovan citizens living abroad into “favored” and “unfavored” groups—significantly skewed the results of the referendum.

The Communist Party is outraged that the authorities arbitrarily refused opposition political groups, particularly the PCRM, the right to monitor the voting process and counting of votes through their official representatives at polling stations abroad. Such baseless refusals were widespread, affecting more than a hundred representatives of opposition parties. This, in our view, created conditions for falsifying both the electoral process itself and the referendum results. The following violations were documented: mass transportation of citizens to polling stations, multiple voting (the so-called “carousel”), campaigning at the polling stations in support of the referendum and candidate Maia Sandu. The widespread practice of photographing ballots after voting violates the principle of ballot secrecy, as does the “voting” of “phantom voters”—citizens arriving at polling stations found they had already “voted” abroad.

Suspicions of ballot stuffing by election commission members affiliated with the authorities are confirmed by the presence of unfolded ballots. Strikingly, all these ballots supported the referendum and Maia Sandu.

Serious questions also arise regarding the vote counting process, where in the final percentages, the outcome of the referendum abruptly changed. From a decisive “NO,” the result shifted to an uncertain and unconvincing “YES.” Within the country, citizens voted overwhelmingly and with a significant majority against the referendum and constitutional amendments. The difference of 0.7 percent was achieved solely through polling stations outside the Republic of Moldova, where, as noted earlier, mass violations were observed, and the opposition was denied observation rights. Additionally, the disproportionately high percentage of invalid ballots raises suspicions.

In our view, this makes the referendum result illegitimate and unreflective of the true choice of citizens.

The Political Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova resolves:

1. The leadership of the PCRM shall continue to contest the referendum results in the courts of the Republic of Moldova and in the Constitutional Court.

2. This Resolution shall be communicated to the Regional Committees of the PCRM for informing voters of the gross violations of Moldovan law and the Constitution committed by the current authorities, urging voters to express distrust and protest against the current government led by the so-called President Maia Sandu.

3. This Resolution shall be conveyed to the leadership of the EU, PACE, OSCE, and all diplomatic missions accredited in the Republic of Moldova.

4. Control over the execution of this Resolution shall be assigned to the Political Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the PCRM.

Chairman of the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova                                                                     

Vladimir Voronin