The CEC will propose sanctioning electoral agitation disguised as meetings with citizens

During the electoral period, various political actors who are not registered as presidential candidates or participants in the referendum organized meetings with voters to conduct electoral agitation. They camouflaged these events as meetings with citizens. The Central Electoral Commission identified these actions and stated that lawmakers need to amend the legislation regarding gatherings and that such violations should be sanctioned, according to IPN.

The president of the CEC, Angelica Caraman, stated that they have documented instances of voter bribery and disinformation, both online and through flyers and posters. They found illegal and non-compliant financing.

“We received notifications, both during the electoral period and on election day, from the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the police inspectorates, which documented several irregularities and violations of electoral legislation. They identified numerous actions carried out by the self-declared political bloc ‘Victory,’ including organizing meetings with voters and distributing agitation materials related to the referendum. This entity was not registered but continued unhindered to conduct electoral agitation in the territory, including distributing goods that are either prohibited or subject to criminal penalties,” said the president of the CEC.

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“Through these actions of political entities, we need to come up with proposals, including regarding the amendment of the legislation—specifically the Law on Gatherings. We must sanction the conduct of unauthorized campaigning not only on election day, as currently stipulated by the Contravention Code, but also before that, starting from the beginning of the electoral period,” stated Angelica Caraman.

The president of the CEC stated that this year, unauthorized individuals illegally collected personal data during the elections, marking a never-before-seen occurrence. She also noted that reports emerged about attempts to influence voters’ choices.

Angelica Caraman added that they have recorded video materials showing clear violations of the voting secrecy principle and attempts to influence voting choices. She expressed concern that such actions occurred in medical institutions and nursing homes. She believes they will have to draw certain conclusions and examine these actions, including those by electoral officials, in more detail.