Central Electoral Commission in Comrat to Be Aware of Alleged Voter Corruption in Gagauzia

The Central Electoral Commission in Comrat has been notified by law enforcement agencies of alleged voter corruption actions in order to force them to vote for one of the ATU Gagauzia Bashkan candidates. The Gagauzian CEC Chair Iana Covalenco said that the appeal of law enforcement agencies is being considered. She does not know if this appeal and the possible decision of the commission can affect the holding of the second round, which is scheduled for Sunday. Most likely not. According to her, the commission will speak out after considering the appeal, ipn.md reports. On Sunday, the National Anti-Corruption Center announced searches within the case of voter corruption by representatives of a political party in order to induce them to vote for a specific electoral competitor in ATU Gagauzia. The available evidence showed that each activist was paid a reward of 15,000 lei in order to find 30 voters for the Sor Party candidate. The violations incriminated to Sor Party candidate election headquarters include the organized transportation of voters to polling stations, the distribution of election posters in prohibited places, as well as the acceptance of funds allegedly received from an organized criminal group that were not declared to the CEC. According to the NAC, no person was detained. On Sunday, May 14, the second round of electing the Bashkan should take place in ATU Gagauzia, since after the first round, which took place on April 30, none of the eight candidates received more than half of the votes. The second round will join the electoral competitors with the largest number of votes: Grigorii Uzun, who ran as an independent candidate, but has the support of the Socialist Party, and a candidate from the Sor Political Party Evghenia Gutul.