{"id":102552,"date":"2006-11-22T17:01:00","date_gmt":"2006-11-22T17:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.moldova.org\/2006\/11\/22\/separatist-authorities-in-eastern-moldova-refuse-presidency-bid-by-local-journalist-20494-eng\/"},"modified":"2006-11-22T17:01:00","modified_gmt":"2006-11-22T17:01:00","slug":"separatist-authorities-in-eastern-moldova-refuse-presidency-bid-by-local-journalist-20494-eng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/separatist-authorities-in-eastern-moldova-refuse-presidency-bid-by-local-journalist-20494-eng\/","title":{"rendered":"Separatist authorities in eastern Moldova refuse presidency bid by local journalist"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) – Pro-Russian separatists controlling the Trans-Dniester province in eastern Moldova refused on Tuesday to accept a local journalist’s bid to run for president of the breakaway republic, officials said. <\/p>\n

Andrei Safonov, chief editor of weekly Novaia Gazeta, is known for criticizing Trans-Dniester’s current ruler, Igor Smirnov, whom he accused of perpetrating human rights violations. Smirnov, a 65-year-old Russian citizen who has run Trans-Dniester since 1990, is seeking a fourth term in office. He was easily re-elected in 1996 and 2001. <\/p>\n

The head of Trans-Dniester’s electoral commission, Piotr Denisenko, said Safonov’s presidential bid was denied because he allegedly violated rules regarding collection of signatures to back his bid. He said that over 20 percent of the 9,436 signatures presented were false, according to a report by Trans-Dniester’s official news agency Olvia Press. <\/p>\n

To have their names on the ballot, candidates must collect over 9,000 signatures from citizens supporting them. <\/p>\n

Safonov said the denial of his bid amounted to a "political vendetta," adding he was the only truly opposition candidate against Smirnov. <\/p>\n

Besides Smirnov, the commission approved two other candidates: businessman Piotr Tomaily, an independent, and the Communist Party leader Natalia Bondarenko. <\/p>\n

Trans-Dniester, which borders Ukraine, is dominated by aging Russians and Ukrainians and ex-Soviet military families who support Smirnov. Its residents recently voted in a referendum to pursue a union with Russia. <\/p>\n

Moldova, once part of Romania, was part of the Soviet Union from the end of World War II until 1991. Trans-Dniester, backed by Russia, fought a 1992 war with Moldova that killed 1,500 people. It was begun in part out of fears that Moldova would reunite with Romania, and ethnic Russians feared they would lose status. <\/p>\n

Some 400,000 citizens will be eligible to vote for the president. The winner needs more than half the votes cast to secure a victory, otherwise there is a second round.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>Separatist authorities in eastern Moldova refuse presidency bid by local journalist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) – Pro-Russian separatists controlling the Trans-Dniester province in eastern Moldova refused on Tuesday to accept a local journalist’s bid to run for president of the breakaway republic, officials said. <\/p>\n

Andrei Safonov, chief editor of weekly Novaia Gazeta, is known for criticizing Trans-Dniester’s current ruler, Igor Smirnov, whom he accused of perpetrating human rights violations. Smirnov, a 65-year-old Russian citizen who has run Trans-Dniester since 1990, is seeking a fourth term in office. He was easily re-elected in 1996 and 2001. <\/p>\n

The head of Trans-Dniester’s electoral commission, Piotr Denisenko, said Safonov’s presidential bid was denied because he allegedly violated rules regarding collection of signatures to back his bid. He said that over 20 percent of the 9,436 signatures presented were false, according to a report by Trans-Dniester’s official news agency Olvia Press. <\/p>\n

To have their names on the ballot, candidates must collect over 9,000 signatures from citizens supporting them. <\/p>\n

Safonov said the denial of his bid amounted to a "political vendetta," adding he was the only truly opposition candidate against Smirnov. <\/p>\n

Besides Smirnov, the commission approved two other candidates: businessman Piotr Tomaily, an independent, and the Communist Party leader Natalia Bondarenko. <\/p>\n

Trans-Dniester, which borders Ukraine, is dominated by aging Russians and Ukrainians and ex-Soviet military families who support Smirnov. Its residents recently voted in a referendum to pursue a union with Russia. <\/p>\n

Moldova, once part of Romania, was part of the Soviet Union from the end of World War II until 1991. Trans-Dniester, backed by Russia, fought a 1992 war with Moldova that killed 1,500 people. It was begun in part out of fears that Moldova would reunite with Romania, and ethnic Russians feared they would lose status. <\/p>\n

Some 400,000 citizens will be eligible to vote for the president. The winner needs more than half the votes cast to secure a victory, otherwise there is a second round.<\/p>\n

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