Curtains in front of polling booth to be taken away

The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided to take the curtains at the entrance to polling booths away. The decision was taken on June 14 by the vote of five CEC members of the eight attending, Info-Prim Neo reports. Alexandru Simionov, one of the three members who abstained from voting, expressed his concern that such a decision may intimidate the voters or even prevent them from casting their ballots. His colleague Igor Vremea said that it is not right to change the rules during the game, while another member Vadim Motsarski stated that four days before the elections is a too short period for taking such a decision. CEC president Iurie Ciocan said the voters will not be intimidated as the other three curtains will not be removed. He also said that until the elections, those who do not agree can appeal the decision to court. The Commission’s decision is mandatory for all the electoral bodies. “The law gives us the power to do so” said Iurie Ciocan. The second round of mayoral elections will take place in over 500 Moldovan settlements on June 19.