The Party of Socialists (PSRM) wants a larger number of polling stations to be established in the Russian Federation for the October 20 presidential election. The party went to the Chisinau Court of Appeals after the Central Election Commission decided to open only five polling stations in Russia, IPN reports.
The PSRM argued that it received multiple requests from representatives of the Moldovan diaspora and Moldovan citizens living or in Russia.
“According to official data, the largest number of citizens of the Republic of Moldova who expressed their intention to vote this year was registered in the Russian Federation – 8,236 people out of the total number of 21,682 preregistrations made in all countries. Despite this, only five polling stations will be opened in Russia, compared, for example, with Italy, where 60 polling stations will be established on the basis of 2,495 registrations, or with Germany – 26 polling stations (1,993 registrations) and Belgium – four polling stations (228 registrations),” said the Socialists.
The PSRM noted that an estimated 400,000 citizens of the Republic of Moldova live permanently in the Russian Federation. By opening only five polling stations there, the right of citizens to participate in the election is unjustifiably limited.
The Central Election Commission decided to establish 234 polling stations in 37 countries for the October 20 presidential election. As for Russia, the CEC referred to the information presented by Moldova’s Embassy in Moscow, which said that the security situation in this country during 2024 has worsened significantly. “Thus, it is ascertained that currently Russia, having military operations on its territory, is not safe to organize polling stations for the 2024 election there without putting the life and integrity of voters at risks,” said representatives of the Commission when debating the decision.
