site.btaMoldovan Opposition Party Excluded from September 28 Parliamentary Elections

The Heart of Moldova Republican Party, part of the opposition Patriotic Bloc, was excluded from participating in the September 28 parliamentary elections by a decision of Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC). The decision was published on the CEC website and reported by all local media on Friday.

The Patriotic Bloc, which includes three other pro-Russian parties, the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, the Future of Moldova Party, organized a protest in front of the CEC headquarters under the slogan “Abuses of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) Regime Against the Opposition”.

Speaking at the protest in central Chisinau, Patriotic Bloc representatives repeatedly described the situation as a “dictatorship.” The demonstration brought together over 250 supporters. There was an increased police presence in the area.

The CEC decision bars 25 candidates from the Heart of Moldova party after the Central Court of Appeal Thursday ordered a one-year suspension of the party’s activity due to illegal financing. The decision can be appealed. The Patriotic Bloc now has 24 hours to submit an updated list of candidates to the CEC.

Heart of Moldova party leader Irina Vlah, former governor of the autonomous Gagauzia region, condemned the ruling and called it an “abuse”. “This decision is the latest act in a long-planned political show aimed at silencing us. The party firmly declares it will not bow to threats and will continue the political struggle,” Vlah wrote on her official website.

Last week, Lithuania banned Irina Vlah from entering its territory for the next five years due to her support for Russian interference in Moldova’s political processes. Earlier, Canada imposed sanctions on Vlah and 15 other Moldovan citizens for actions undermining Moldova’s sovereignty.