Electoral Campaigning

(1) The citizens of the Republic of Moldova, political parties, electoral blocs of parties, candidates and trustworthy persons of the candidates shall be entitled to put forward for free discussion under all aspects the candidates’ electoral programmes, their political, professional and personal abilities, as well as to organise electoral campaigning during the gatherings, reunions and meetings with voters, via Media, via electoral banners and other means of communication.

(2) The exercise of that right may be made subject to formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties provided for by law, which are necessary measures for a democratic society, national security, territorial integrity or public security, for the protection of public order and the prevention of crime, the protection of health, the protection of morality, the protection of reputation, the protection of the rights of others, to prevent the disclosure of confidential information or to guarantee the authority and impartiality of the judicial power.

(3) Regardless type of election, the electoral campaign begins on the date of registration of the electoral competitor, but no earlier than 30 days before the Elections Day, and ends on the date on which the electoral competitor’s registration is being cancelled or the day of Friday before the Elections Day. In Presidential and Local Elections, candidates who have passed in the second round of elections may conduct an electoral campaign after the establishment of the date of the second round of elections by the decision of the Central Electoral Commission, but no later than 10 days before the Elections Days.

(4) In electoral programmes, in electoral campaigning materials, electoral campaigning activities and electoral advertising which concern, in one way or another, initiative groups, electoral competitors and participants in the referendum shall not be used the images of religious cults or their component parts, foreign officials, state institutions or public authorities from abroad, international organizations. It is prohibited to combine colours and/or sounds referring to symbols of another State, to use materials that contain foreign historical personalities, symbols of foreign countries or international organisations or images of foreign officials, if they lead to contesting and defaming the state and the people, incitement to war aggression, national, racial or religious hatred, incitement to discrimination, territorial separatism, public violence, as well as other manifestations threatening the constitutional regime. By derogation, those provisions shall not apply in cases concerning the commitments assumed by the Republic of Moldova on the basis of international agreements concluded with the European Union.

(5) Shall be prohibited the organized transportation of voters to the polling station on the Elections Day for the purpose of determining them to exercise their electoral rights or the organisation of transportation of voters to the polling station, during the electoral period.

(6) Candidates shall be prohibited from using administrative resources, including by launching or participating in the launching of infrastructure projects or public procurements carried out from the national public budget, the use of public equipment, means and goods, during the electoral period. Public authorities/institutions and similar institutions shall be prohibited from transmitting/offering to electoral competitors of public goods or other favours, than on the basis of a contract, under equal conditions for all electoral competitors.

(7) The placement, in equal conditions, of electoral advertising on advertising boards, including on publicly owned ones, shall be approved by the Central Electoral Commission on the basis of a regulation.

(8) Responsibility for the broadcasted or published content of electoral advertising materials shall lie with the initiative group, the electoral competitor or the participant in the referendum. Advertising materials must comply with the requirements laid down in Article 9 of Law No 62/2022 on advertising.

(9) Each advertising material of independent candidates, who states on its own responsibility that they have not use the typographical services of the specialised entities and have not opened the bank account marked „Electoral Fund”, must contain the following information: Last name/first name of the electoral competitor, the date of printing, the number of copies and the words “printed on his/her own technical equipment”.

(10) The local public administration authorities are required, within 3 days before the start of the electoral campaign, to establish and ensure a minimum number of special places for electoral campaign posters, a minimum of locations for holding meetings with voters. Such decisions/orders shall be immediately displayed at the premises of those authorities and shall be brought to the attention of interested subjects by Media of the other available means of communication.

(11) Electoral competitors may organise meetings with voters. The local public administration authorities are being required to ensure that such meetings take place under equal terms and conditions. The electoral bodies may be notified in the event of found irregularities on the organisation and holding of meetings with voters.

(12) Electoral campaigning is allowed only until Friday before the Elections Day.

(13) For the purposes of the electoral campaign, competitors shall be prohibited from organising concerts, competitions, other events or manifestations involving performers, domestic or foreign creative and/or artistic personnel, displaying slogans or other messages during such performances and/or distributing materials containing the electoral competitor's symbols or other identification elements, as well as participating in such events for the purpose of political promotion.

(14) the provisions of this article shall also apply to participants in the referendum.