Promo-Lex Chief to Sandu: You Exploited Administrative Resources in This Campaign

The head of the Promo-LEX mission, Nicolae Panfil, said that at least 146 cases of exploiting administrative resources were recorded in the election campaign of presidential candidate Maia Sandu and that several PAS deputies were involved in the election campaign, including during working hours, Noi.md noted. Nicolae Panfil reminded Maia Sandu that in the past she had sharply criticized the use of administrative resources during electoral campaigns, but in the current presidential elections she herself had committed exactly these violations. “Ms Sandu, in 2019 as prime minister you said, and I really want to quote, ‘the use of administrative resources is a stain on Moldova’s image.’ And in the 2020 presidential elections, you strongly criticized their use by Igor Dodon’s government. However, the phenomenon persists, Promo-LEX found at least 146 cases of exploiting administrative resources in this campaign in just one month of campaigning. 92% of them concern PAS and you as a presidential candidate. International election observation missions also confirm it. Ms Sandu, when and how will we erase this stain from Moldova’s image?” the head of Promo-LEX asked Maia Sandu on the air of the programme În Profunzime. In turn, Maia Sandu said that during the election campaign she had taken certain steps precisely to avoid certain violations. “Mr Panfil, I did not use administrative resources and reported all my actions, including taking leave during this period and using a different vehicle. My colleagues were on leave at their own expense. If there were situations in a particular institution, I mean at the local level, we can consider it. I know there have been many mistakes that you have reported. But I’m suggesting that we don’t compare the abuses that have been committed in the past and these isolated incidents. I don’t know where you got the hundred or so cases from. We can examine them, but I suggest we be honest {...}. We want free and fair elections. I oppose violations, including minor ones, but I ask you to present the situation correctly,” Sandu said. In response, Nicolae Panfil said that the violations detected by the Promo-LEX mission concern all those who campaigned for candidate Maia Sandu. ‘In most of the cases discussed, and I’ll say it again, and there were at least 146 cases, we talked about the involvement of government officials, people in positions of public dignity: ministers, prime ministers, deputies, mayors, civil servants who were brought to various meetings during working hours. Ms Sandu, these are the same phenomena that you criticized in 2020, when you were competing with Igor Dodon. There is nothing new. Thus, I think it would be good to urge your colleagues to read the reports more carefully, because it was PAS that voted for the Electoral Code in 2022, effective from 2023, with the improved notion of administrative resources in that code. It’s a pity we are passing laws that we are not enforcing.” “The scale of the flaw should be clearly stated. Because when you compare that, for example, in my report, the number of volunteers who took part is not stated... I’m sorry, we can’t know all the people who are campaigning for me, but I’m very grateful to them. But people are volunteers, so they do it out of their own conviction {...}. There are things we can improve, but let’s sort out who respects democracy and who tries to suppress it,” Maia Sandu urged. Recall that on Sunday, 3 November, Maia Sandu will face Alexandr Stoianoglo in the second round of the presidential election.