The citizens of the Republic of Moldova voted on Sunday, October 20, in addition to the presidential elections, in a referendum to amend the Constitution with a view to the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union.
UPDATE 23:30
After processing over 59% of the minutes (from 1,312 polling stations out of a total of 2,219), it turned out that over 55% of the voters said “No” to the referendum on the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, while over 44 % spoke in favor of the country’s European course.
The voters had to answer the question: “Do you support the amendment of the Constitution with a view to the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union?”. The referendum was initiated by the Action and Solidarity Party of the acting president, Maia Sandu.
The data of the Central Electoral Commission shows that after receiving 39 percent of the minutes of the referendum, it shows that 43.5% of Moldovans said YES for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU, while 56.4% voted NO, according voceabasarabiei.md.
The results are partial and at the time of publication of this news the votes were still being counted.
On the same day as the voting for the election of the country’s president, the constitutional republican referendum was held in the Republic of Moldova. The citizens answered the question “Do you support the amendment of the Constitution with a view to the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union?”.
The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted the draft decision on the holding of the republican constitutional referendum on May 16, 2024.
The draft amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova provides for the completion of the Constitution with two new paragraphs, which reconfirm the European identity of the people of the Republic of Moldova and the irreversibility of the country’s European course. Also, the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the European Union will be declared as a strategic objective of the country. The document also provides for the completion of the Constitution with a new title – “Integration in the European Union”. Thus, it is proposed that the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the constitutive treaties of the European Union, as well as the accession to the revision acts of the constitutive treaties of the European Union, be carried out by the Parliament through an organic law, and the provisions of the constitutive treaties of the European Union, as well as the other acts binding legal provisions of the European Union to have priority over the contrary provisions of internal laws, in compliance with the provisions of the act of accession, the press release of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova also shows.
The republican constitutional referendum is organized at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. The initiative to revise the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova was signed by 46 deputies of the “Action and Solidarity” Party (PAS) and was approved by the Constitutional Court (April 16, 2024). Thus, the ruling party implemented the initiative of President Maia Sandu, announced in December 2023, notes the Institute for Strategic Initiatives from Moldova, in an article published on the page The European Council decided to start negotiations for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU on 14-15 December 2023.
15 participants were registered in the republican referendum to amend the Constitution for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova: 14 political parties and an electoral bloc made up of three parties. Of these, only two support the “NO” option (the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova and the “Renaissance” Party), after one party was excluded from the race for violating party financing rules. At the same time, two applications for registration were rejected by the Central Electoral Commission, and two other formations announced that they would boycott the referendum, urging citizens not to participate (the Party of Socialists from the Republic of Moldova – PSRM and the Party for the Development and Consolidation of Moldova – PDCM).
In favor of the “YES” option, according to the Ecologist Green Party, the “Respect Moldova” Movement, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, the Coalition for Unity and Welfare, the “Together” Electoral Bloc, the Action and Solidarity Party, the National Alternative Movement, The “Home Democracy” Party, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, the “NOI” Party, the “Home” National Reunification Party, the European Social Democratic Party and the “People’s Will” Party
The referendum is considered valid if at least one third of the voters registered on the electoral rolls participate.
The acting president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who is running for a new mandate in Sunday’s presidential elections, launched a message to mobilize voters to participate in the largest possible number both in the presidential election and in the referendum.
She asked the electorate to request two ballots at the polling stations, not only for the election of the president, but also for the referendum to amend the Constitution, which would confirm the European path of the Republic of Moldova.
“I want to appeal to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. Dear citizens, vote! This Sunday we are making two important decisions for our country. Take two ballots! Vote in the referendum and elect the president of the Republic of Moldova for the next four years. The vote our vote in the referendum will determine our fate for many decades to come”, Sandu said.
She also addressed a message to the citizens of the diaspora.
“Dear citizens from the diaspora, I know you are worried about your loved ones left at home. Go out and vote, so that your loved ones at home can continue to live in peace. I voted, because Moldovans must determine their fate, not others, not dirty money, not lies, but the will of the people. I voted so that Moldova can develop in peace and freedom, so that Moldova can build the future it wants and is building. Go out to vote! Everyone’s vote is important, it’s not just a stamp on paper. It’s your word for your fate. It is the choice for how you will live starting tomorrow”, said Maia Sandu.
Source: ziare.com
