TrustVoting Atlas

Electoral agitation
(1) Citizens of the Republic of Moldova, political parties, electoral blocks, candidates
and persons of confidence of candidates shall have the right to freely discuss and approach
all aspects of electoral programmes of electoral competitors, political, professional and
personal qualities of candidates, as well as to engage in electoral agitation in assemblies,
rallies, meetings with voters, by means of the media, by displaying electoral posters or by
means of other forms of communication.
(2) The exercise of this right may be subject to formalities, conditions, restrictions or
penalties laid down by law which are necessary in a democratic society, for national security,
territorial integrity or public security, for the prevention of disorder and crime, for the protection
of health or morals, for the protection of reputation, for the protection of the rights of others, in
order to prevent the disclosure of confidential information or to safeguard the authority and
impartiality of the judiciary.
(3) Regardless of the type of ballot, the election campaign shall begin on the date of
registration, but no earlier than 30 days before the day of the vote, and shall end on the date
of cancellation of the registration of the electoral competitor or on Friday before the day of the
vote. In the case of presidential and local elections, candidates who have passed the second
ballot may conduct an election campaign after the date of the second ballot has been fixed,
by decision of the Central Electoral Commission, but no later than 10 days before the election
day.
(4) In electoral programmes, electoral agitation materials, electoral agitation and
electoral advertising action targeting in one way or another initiative groups, electoral
competitors and referendum participants, no images representing religious worship or
component parts thereof, foreign officials, state institutions or public authorities abroad, or
international organisations may be used. The combination of colours and/or sounds invoking
symbols of another state, the use of material showing historical personalities abroad, the
symbolism of foreign states or international organisations, or the image of foreign official
persons shall be prohibited. By way of derogation, the provisions of this Protocol shall not
apply in cases concerning commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova under
international agreements concluded with the European Union.
(5) The organised transport of voters to the polling station on election day in order to
induce voters to exercise their electoral rights, as well as the organisation during the electoral
period of the transportation of voters to the polling station, shall be prohibited.
(6) Candidates may not use administrative resources, including by launching or
participating in the launch of infrastructure projects or procurement from the public budget,
using public equipment, means and assets during the electoral period. Public
authorities/institutions and those assimilated thereto may not pass on/grant to competitors
public goods or favours other than under a contract, on equal terms for all electoral
competitors.
(7) How electoral advertising is placed on billboards on an equal footing, including the
private ones, shall be approved by the Central Electoral Commission under a regulation.
(8) Responsible for the content of electoral advertisements, whether broadcast or
published, is the initiative group, the electoral competitor or the referendum participant. Each
advertisement must comply with the requirements laid down in Article 9 of Law No 62/2022
on advertising.
(9) Each advertisement of independent candidates declaring on their honour that they
have not used the printing services of specialised entities and have not opened the bank
account marked ‘Electoral Fund’ shall contain the name/surname of the electoral competitor,
the date of printing, the printout of the material and the mention ‘Printed to his/her own
technical equipment’.
(10) Local public administration authorities shall be required, within 3 days of the start
of the election campaign, to establish and ensure a minimum of special electoral display
places, a minimum of premises for meetings with voters. Those decisions (provisions) shall
be displayed immediately at the premises of such authorities and brought to the attention of
the subjects concerned through the media or other available communication means.
(11) Electoral competitors may organise meetings with voters, with local government
authorities being obliged to ensure that such meetings take place on equal terms and
conditions. Electoral bodies may be notified of irregularities in the organisation and conduct of
meetings.
(12) Electoral agitation shall only be allowed until Friday before the day of the vote.
(13) During the electoral period, electoral competitors shall not be allowed to organise
concerts, competitions, other events or demonstrations involving interpreters, creative and/or
artistic staff both in the country and abroad, to display slogans or other messages, and/or to
distribute material containing the electoral competitor’s symbolism or other identifiers, as well
as to participate in such events for political promotion.
(14) The provisions of this Article shall also apply to the participants in the referendum.