Moldovan parliament bans former Shor party leaders from running in elections

CHISINAU. Oct 4 (Interfax) - The Moldovan parliament has passed legislation banning the former leaders of the Shor party, which has been designated as unconstitutional, from running for elected office.

The parliament passed the bill amending the Electoral Code at its first reading on Wednesday morning and at its final reading in the afternoon. The rapid approval was prompted by the fact that an election campaign for local government bodies set for November 5 is starting on October 6.

The legislation stipulates that individuals suspected of or charged with crimes that served as grounds for designating a party as unconstitutional, or have been barred from elections due to the nontransparent financing of an election campaign, or are responsible for actions that led to international sanctions on them cannot run for elected office for three years.

The General Inspectorate of the Moldovan police, the National Anticorruption Center, and the Security and Intelligence Service are supposed to provide the Central Elections Commission (CEC) with the necessary information within three days, after which the CEC will compile a list of individuals which the new amendments apply to.

On Tuesday, the Moldovan Constitutional Court found an amendment to the Electoral Code banning all leading members and elected individuals from parties designated as unconstitutional from running in elections to be unconstitutional. The Shor party was designated as unconstitutional on June 19, 2023.