On 27 November the Department of Representative on political issues of the Republic of Moldova Victor Osipov issued a statement calling on the RM’s and foreign citizens to refrain from travelling to Pridnestrovie on 28-29 November.
The Moldovan authorities’ appeal is justified by the alleged possibility of any provocation on the part of law enforcement agencies of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic against international representatives who will come to observe the elections in Pridnestrovie.
In the context of the statement, the PMR’s Foreign Ministry notes that the electoral processes on the territory of Pridnestrovie, as well as the participation of international observers there, will be organized at the traditionally high level in accordance with international democratic standards and the laws of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The elections to Supreme Council have been held for the sixth time in Pridnestrovie, they are based on the democratic principles of openness, transparency, free and secret vote of the people. The electoral processes are an integral component of the progressive development of the Pridnestrovian statehood, the protection of the sovereignty of Pridnestrovie by providing legitimate democratic consideration of the opinion of people in the formation of representative bodies.
The provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly recognizes the right of citizens to exercise their electoral rights, and the Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the CIS countries, ratified also by Moldova, provides a guarantee of public and international election observation. Adhering to the principles of openness and transparency, it should be emphasized the fact that Pridnestrovie has addressed a number of international institutions - the United Nations, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe and other international structures with an invitation to send their representatives to observe the elections in Pridnestrovie. Pridnestrovie provides full citizens’ access to the vote, the participation in the formation of legislative and other representative bodies, the realization of the democratic right to elect and to be elected in accordance with the universal international standards and the current legislation of the PMR.
In full accordance with existing agreements within the framework of the settlement process, including the Agreement of 21 July 1992, the Pridnestrovian side conducts activities independently on the controlled territory, and the legitimacy of electoral processes is determined by the Pridnestrovian people. In terms of international law, the existence of an unresolved conflict between Pridnestrovie and Moldova cannot and should not prevent the realization of the right to free vote and participation in the electoral processes as the right to elect or be elected is a universal and inalienable right of the citizens, regardless of the territory of residence.
The Pridnestrovian side regards the attempts of the RM to block the access of international observers as deliberate discredit of election processes and the wish to restrict the free dissemination of objective information about Pridnestrovie, and as actions aimed at the growth of contradictions and aggravation of the situation.
It is known that the Moldovan authorities denied citizens of the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Bulgaria and the Russian Federation to enter, arrived in the past two days at Kishinev airport with a view to go to Pridnestrovie and participate in monitoring the democratic process of the elections to Supreme Council of the PMR, as well as to the local Councils of People's Deputies.
The restrictive actions of the RM, including the mentioned statement made by Victor Osipov’s Department, are contrary to numerous international norms and standards in the field of electoral law. If the Republic of Moldova as a neighbour was indeed concerned with voting interests and rights of citizens, it could, probably, help international structures, including the UN, to take part in election monitoring, and not to create the humiliating hurdles.
An attempt to prevent the arrival of international observers in Pridnestrovie indicates a low level of political culture of a number of officials in the Republic of Moldova, fear and uncertainty, pathological inability to deal with objective interest of the international community in the implementation of transparent, democratic principles in Pridnestrovie as well.
The Foreign Ministry of the PMR calls on the Moldovan side to recognize the objective current reality and strictly be guided by civilized forms of dialogue with Pridnestrovie and international representatives visiting the republic, and not to limit the freedom of movement of citizens who wish to visit Pridnestrovie.
