Pro-Russian parties prevented from participating in Moldova's election

In a series of recent decisions, the Supreme Court (SC) of Moldova has rejected appeals from three political parties seeking participation in the upcoming elections. The parties in question are the "Moldova Mare", led by Victoria Furune, the "Renewal", linked to Ilan Shor, and the "Centerist Union of Moldova".

The SC's decisions are final and cannot be appealed, marking the end of the road for these parties in the electoral contest.

The rejection of the "Centerist Union of Moldova" party was due to two individuals on their candidate list being members of another party until July 28, a violation of the election regulations. The CEC, Moldova's election commission, had initially rejected the party's registration based on this ineligibility.

Similarly, the CEC rejected the "Renewal" party's application for candidate list registration on August 23. The SC upheld this decision on August 29.

The "Moldova Mare" party, meanwhile, faced a different issue. The party's gender ratio of candidates from position 41 to 50 does not adhere to the allowed 60% men and 40% women ratio in the elections. Despite this, the party initially registered their candidate list. However, the Chisinau Appeals Court ordered the CEC to re-examine the party's application, leading to the SC's subsequent rejection of the party's lawsuit on August 30.

The gender ratio of candidates from position 41 to 50 in the "Moldova Mare" party is 7 men and 3 women, or 70% to 30%. One candidate from the party was excluded due to an unexpunged conviction, further disrupting the gender ratio.

It's important to note that the allowed gender ratio in the elections is a legal requirement aimed at ensuring fair representation.

The SC also rejected the "Renewal" party's appeal against the CEC's decision on August 29.

The legislation states that it is possible to switch parties by July 19, but the individuals in question joined the "Centerist Union of Moldova" party later, leading to a decrease in the candidate representation quota.

The SC's rejection of the three parties' appeals marks a significant development in Moldova's political landscape, as these parties will not be participating in the upcoming elections.