Officials in Brussels have reminded the government in Chisinau of the need to respect democratic principles after courts in the country annulled the capital’s mayoral election.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn on Wednesday urged Moldova to take “appropriate measures” in order to show respect for the popular vote, after courts in the country annulled the capital’s mayoral elections, won on June 3 by the leader of Dignity and Truth Platform, PPDA, Andrei Năstase.
On Monday, the EU and the US embassies in Chisinau made similar requests.
Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who is visiting Washington, was reminded by the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo on Monday that “free and fair elections are a hallmark of a democratic government and must reflect the will of the country’s citizens without political interference”.
Mogherini and Hahn emphasized that Moldova needs to resolve the problem over the election according to “democratic values and the rule of law [which] are also at the heart of the European Union’s relations with the Republic of Moldova, as our Association Agreement testifies.”
The EU officials noted that the mayoral elections were “recognised also by national and international observers and reflected the will of the voters”, and asked Moldova to guarantee judicial independence in line with the country’s international commitments, and as its own citizens expect.
Moldova’s Supreme Court of Justice on Monday backed the previous ruling of a local court issued on June 20, annulling the election result. Daily protests have since been organized in Chisinau.
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