PROTESTS CANCEL REPEAT ELECTIONS IN BUTENI

UNCLAS CHISINAU 001517

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/EA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MD
SUBJECT: PROTESTS CANCEL REPEAT ELECTIONS IN BUTENI

REF: Chisinau 1455

Sensitive But Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly.


1. (SBU) Summary: After three failed attempts to elect a mayor in
the village of Buteni, a fourth round was scheduled for December 16.
Though the very popular former mayor had won in the first and
second rounds, ruling-party machinations prevented him both from
taking office and from running again. Hundreds of activists blocked
the polling station to prevent the repeat election from taking
place. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) eventually cancelled
the December 16 election. This incident demonstrated the extent to
which the Communist Party was willing to use strong-arm tactics to
prevent an anti-communist from winning. End Summary.

Tensions Build Before Election Day
--------------


2. (SBU) Two days before the election scheduled for December 16,
dozens of police officers came to the school building that would
serve as a voting station, claiming that they had come to perform
regular pre-election security checks. The police threatened to fine
or arrest people who blocked the voting station, and even forced
people to sign documents acknowledging the consequences of such an
action. Pre-electoral tension built further on December 15, as
busloads of police, numbering in the hundreds, arrived in Buteni
from Chisinau.


3. (SBU) As reported reftel, Embassy had been warned in advance that
the scheduled election might turn violent. The very popular
ex-mayor, Anatolie Postalechi, won both the first round and the
repeat round, but could not register as a candidate after the losing
Communist Party candidate accused him of corruption for using an
office cell phone and an official car during the campaign. An
Embassy official traveled to Buteni to observe the election-day
proceedings.

No Police Force Used, but One Fight Broke Out
--------------


4. (SBU) In the early hours of the morning on election day, December
16, people from the village started to gather peacefully. By 6:30
AM, there were more then 500 people in front of the school
protesting against the holding of repeat elections without the
former mayor as a candidate and demanding new elections. These
protesters did not allow the local election committee to enter the
school to start the elections. However, the local election
committee did not authorize the police to open the polling station
by force. (Note: The local election committee includes six
non-communists and five communists. End Note)


5. (SBU) The only violence that occurred was when a communist local
councilor Petru Stafi punched one of the protesters, who responded
by fighting back. Liberal Democratic Party Leader, Vladimir Filat,
stepped in to try to stop the fighting, but instead was kicked and
pounded. There were no serious injuries from the scuffling.


6. (SBU) After a stand-off that lasted several hours, the local
election committee formally declared that it was impossible to hold
the election and then all eleven members of the committee officially
resigned. By noon the protesters left. The Chisinau CEC later
ruled in favor of holding new elections in Buteni.

Comment
--------------


7. (SBU) The electoral events in Buteni demonstrate the extreme
lengths to which the losing Communist Party will go to deny a
victory to its competition. Though Postalechi clearly won in both
the June 3 initial election and the July 1 repeat election, the
Court of Appeals excluded him from the voting list based on trumped
up corruption charges. Only determined action on the part of
hundreds of voters prevented the railroading of the Communist
candidate into power.

KIRBY