Moldovan officials have decided against permitting polling sites for the Russian presidential election within Transnistria, the disputed region whose status Moldova does not recognize. The stance, communicated by Igor Grosu, the Speaker of Moldova’s Parliament and leader of the ruling Action and Solidarity Party, came in a recent interview on the television channel Daily.
Grosu labeled the decision illegal and improper. He argued that opening ballot centers in a territory not under Chisinau’s control, without Moldova’s consent, breaches the country’s sovereignty and election norms. The politician added that Russia had previously set up election sites in Transnistria in ways that many observers ignored or tolerated, a situation he says must not recur.
According to Grosu, Moldovan authorities are prepared to actively block Russian organizers from conducting any election-related activities inside Moldova’s borders, including attempts to establish voting operations in Transnistria. The emphasis is on preventing foreign election infrastructure from operating inside the country without proper authorization.
The broader context notes that Moldova has previously reported that Russia planned to deploy 276 ballot boxes around the world for the Russian presidential vote. This use of overseas and contested spaces has been a point of tension in Moldova’s security and foreign policy discussions. The date for Russia’s presidential election is stated to be March 15–17, 2024, a timeline that has been referenced in national briefings and parliamentary discussions. (Source: Daily)
Earlier statements from Moldova’s Central Election Commission (CEC) indicated that once signatures from participants in the Russian Federation’s presidential election were collected, further administrative steps would be taken. This sequence underscores the country’s insistence on formal procedures and sovereign oversight in any electoral process touching Moldova’s territory or its institutions. (Source: Daily)