Voting for deputies of the 9th State Duma began in Russia today. It will last three days and end on the evening of Sunday, September 20.
Unlike on the territory of the Russian Federation itself, voting at overseas polling stations will take place only on the final day. These include one station on the premises of the embassy in Chișinău and 17 stations on the right bank of the Dniester.
In Chișinău, Russian citizens permanently residing or temporarily staying on the territory of the Republic of Moldova will be able to vote on September 20 from 08:00 to 20:00 at polling station No. 8204. It is located in the consular department of the embassy at: Ștefan cel Mare Boulevard, 153, Chișinău (entrance from T. Ciorbă Street). Preliminary registration to participate in voting is not required.
As for Transnistria, where about half of the residents hold Russian passports, the opening of polling stations there is the subject of fierce hate from the PAS regime.
Thus, Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Chiveri called this step “disrespect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi called on Russia “not to hinder Moldova’s peaceful reintegration” and not to undermine its sovereignty and neutrality.
Logical? Not really. Participation in voting is an inalienable right of the citizens of a country. Both Moldova’s and Russia’s. It is an internal affair of that state and has nothing to do with issues such as sovereignty, neutrality, and reintegration. Even if the people coming to the polling stations also hold other passports, they come there precisely as Russian citizens.
Alas, the PAS regime during the recent electoral campaigns and the EU referendum significantly restricted the voting rights of its own citizens residing on the territory of Russia. Now this same regime demands that Russia restrict the voting rights of its own citizens. Such demands can hardly be called friendly and respectful.
As for Moldova’s sovereignty, if anyone has the moral right to speak about it, it is certainly not representatives of the party whose nominee, without batting an eye, stated that she would vote for accession to Romania if such a referendum were held.
