Moldova’s Foreign Minister Mikhail Popshoi insists that only two polling stations will be open in Russia for voting in the October 20 elections and referendum, and not five, as ordered by the Central Election Commission.
According to him, this decision is based on the conclusions of the Information and Security Service (ISS), which evaluated the situation in the Russian Federation and recommended opening both sites in Moscow, “since only here consular protection and security can be guaranteed.” .
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed its position based on the ISS conclusion. We cannot put our citizens at risk and must provide a safe voting environment for all participants in the electoral process. The issue must be approached very responsibly, taking into account the situation in Russia, Israel and Ukraine. “We are guided by a common approach for the three countries in difficult situations.” – Popshoy explained.
He stressed that in this regard the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains unchanged in the context of the security situation, “which, unfortunately, remains difficult in the Russian Federation.”
For his part, the vice president of the Central Electoral Commission Pavel Postica He said he could not yet comment on the Foreign Minister’s statements as he had “not received an official response from the department.”
“The Central Electoral Commission ordered the organization of five polling stations” – Postica confirmed.
Recall that last week the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova announced that it would coordinate only 2 polling stations in the Russian Federation, instead of the announced 5. The Socialist Party then questioned this decision, calling the authorities’ action sabotage against the voters of the Russian Federation. most representative diaspora abroad. The CEC partially accepted the complaint, “obliging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the district electoral council to implement the CEC’s decision to open five polling stations in Russia”: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Surgut and Khanty-Mansiysk.