Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Moldova constitutional court orders recount of controversial election results

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Moldova's Constitutional Court on Sunday ordered the nation's Central Election Commission to conduct a recount of last week's controversial parliamentary election. The ruling Communist party won nearly 50 percent of the vote, leaving them only one seat short of the 61 seats needed to select the next president unopposed. Opposition groups claim that falsified voter registration rolls allowed government officials to fabricate votes. Members of some opposition groups fear that a recount will only legitimize the falsified election results and have demanded new elections. Moldova's Liberal Democrats said they are in the process of obtaining voter registration lists, which they will check for accuracy. Some international groups, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), approved the voting process as being generally fair. The recount will take place Wednesday. The order follows a request for a recount from Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, a member of the Communist party, who reportedly called for the recount to calm the protests and restore faith in the government. Last week anti-Communist protesters who want a stronger relationship with Europe stormed the parliament building in Moldova's capital city of Chisinau, smashing windows and furniture.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 13, 2009 (boomark / email).