The Situation

The failure of the September 2010 constitutional referendum to approve a direct popular vote for the president set the tone for subsequent electoral events in Moldova. Parliament called for an early election as an attempt to break the country’s 18-month political stalemate. The results led to four major political parties gaining representation in the Moldovan parliament.

After a period of negotiations following the election, the Democratic, Liberal and Liberal Democratic parties formed a coalition: the Alliance for European Integration (AEI). The Communist party remains the Alliance’s primary opposition, with 42 seats. In order to overcome the political stalemate and elect a president, the AEI will need to find two members from the Communist party to vote with them, which seems unlikely. As a result, Moldova faces another parliamentary election in 2012.

Our Role

The overarching goal of IFES’ programming is to enhance the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) ability to effectively manage elections, increase citizen participation and encourage civil society organizations to play an active role in the process.

What We Are Doing

• Assisting the CEC develop a strategic plan that will guide the organization’s development for the next three to five years
• Working with 900+ local public authorities to improve the accuracy of the voter list
• Building the capacity of the CEC and local organizations to monitor political party campaign finances
• Aiding in the development of the CEC’s Center for Continuous Training to train and certify election officials in administration of elections
• Developing a comprehensive voter education campaign with international and local partner organizations