Representatives of the parliamentary faction of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BCS) — Vlad Batrîncea, Vice President of Parliament and head of the BCS faction; Olga Cebotari, member of the PSRM Executive Committee; and Nicolae Fomov, legal expert — held a meeting with members of the pre-election mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), who are currently on a working visit to the Republic of Moldova, TRIBUNA reports.

The discussions focused primarily on preparations for the upcoming autumn parliamentary elections and related processes. Topics also included institutional decline and the risks posed by information manipulation through fake news, propaganda, and hate speech.

BCS representatives emphasized the importance of conducting free, transparent, and well-organized elections that would restore citizens’ trust in state institutions. They drew attention to serious irregularities allegedly committed by the PAS government during the election preparation process.

Vlad Batrîncea highlighted the extensive use of public resources to benefit the ruling party, which, according to him, unofficially launched its electoral campaign three months earlier than permitted by law. He also raised concerns about the recent politicization of the Constitutional Court through the premature appointment of new judges without consultation with the Venice Commission. Regarding voting abroad, Batrîncea stated: “Proper and safe conditions for ensuring the integrity of the vote are missing. Many of the rented spaces for polling stations abroad do not meet adequate standards and raise serious concerns about the security of the electoral process.”

The Socialists further stressed the need to ensure equal conditions of participation for all electoral competitors, as well as full guarantees of voting rights for both citizens in the diaspora and voters from the Transnistrian region.

In this context, Olga Cebotari declared: “There is no clarity regarding the methodology used to calculate the number of polling stations needed, both in the diaspora and in Transnistria. We believe that at least 30 polling stations should be opened on the left bank of the Dniester. We are aware that political decision-makers have influenced the CEC’s decision on this matter.”

At the end of the meeting, Vlad Batrîncea warned that any external interference in Moldova’s internal political processes is unacceptable and that the future of the Republic of Moldova must be decided solely by its citizens.

The BCS faction expressed hope that reporting on the parliamentary elections will be thorough, objective, impartial, and accurate — and that it will promptly highlight any irregularities or illegal actions that undermine the integrity of the electoral process.