The representatives of the Political Movement Unirea propose to exclude the obligation to collect signatures for the registration of candidates for the position of President of Moldova, arguing that this could be a solution to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus.

The leader of the Political Party Unirea, Valeriu Munteanu, urged pro-European deputies to file a complaint to the Constitutional Court, noting that there are preconditions, given the High Court’s decision to collect signatures for the registration of political parties.

According to the politician, the procedure for collecting signatures for the registration of candidates in the presidential race is dangerous and unconstitutional.

“The collection of 20,000 signatures by 10 candidates means contacting over 200,000 people to get the signature and over 300,000-400,000 people to discuss. This means that we will have 1,000 people who will be permanently exposed to the risk of infection. A month ago I made an approach to the Central Electoral Commission, although we have been sounding the alarm for several months in this regard, in order to change the law and exclude this abusive provision, at least during the pandemic,” said the Liberal Party president, the designated candidate of the Political Movement Unirea for presidential elections, Dorin Chirtoacă.

According to the provisions of the Electoral Code, in order to be registered by the Electoral Commission, all candidates for the position of President of Moldova submit subscription lists, containing the signatures of at least 15,000 and no more than 25,000 voters from at least half of the administrative units -territorial level two of Moldova. The administrative-territorial units of the second level of Moldova, in which no less than 600 signatures were collected, are considered compliant with this provision.

Presidential elections are scheduled for November 1. The election period begins on August 25. The period for designating and collecting the signatures of the candidates’ supporters in the elections for the position of President of Moldova is September 1 – October 1.

So far, Maia Sandu, former Prime Minister, Octavian Țîcu, a deputy in the Parliament, Andrei Năstase, the leader of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party, and Dorin Chirtoacă, former mayor of Chișinău, have announced their intention to run for the position of head of state.