The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (CALC) organized a coordination meeting with development partners to discuss the pre-electoral context and identify the resources and support needed for the projects planned during the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum this year, emphasizing the importance of this support for the initiatives of CALC member organizations.

CALC: Coordination Meeting with Development Partners in the Context of the Presidential Elections and the Constitutional Referendum 2024 On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (CALC) organized a coordination meeting with development partners to discuss the pre-election context and identify the resources and support needed for the projects planned during the presidential elections and this year’s constitutional referendum. We remind you that the Coalition, which includes 39 NGOs, was founded in 2005, with the aim of supporting the fundamental values of democracy and ensuring free, fair and transparent elections. It is led by a Council assisted by a Secretariat, held in 2024-2025 by the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT.

Polina Panainte, CALC Secretary, opened the session emphasizing the importance of the meeting in identifying the necessary support for the initiatives of the CALC member organizations. She noted that, before this event, numerous meetings were held with various institutions to discuss the challenges related to the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum. Following these discussions, member organizations have developed a series of initiatives and project proposals.

According to Sorin Mereacre, President of the East European Foundation (FEE), “it is essential to identify the projects that have not yet been funded and to propose new initiatives. In this order of ideas, the CALC secretariat is to prepare a matrix of ongoing projects, which are looking for development partners to be supported.”

In turn, Nicolae Panfil, from the Promo-LEX Association, addressed the main challenges identified in the election monitoring process, including illegal party financing and abuse of administrative resources. Petru Macovei, from the Association of Independent Press (API), highlighted concerns about corruption and disinformation in the information space. “We need support to combat these phenomena and to ensure a healthy and transparent information space,” said Macovei.

Given the current challenges, Serghei Neicovcen, representative of the Contact Center, highlighted the need for a program dedicated to increasing the capacity of local organizations in voter mobilization and grant management. The Contact Center has created a concept that includes the provision of mini-grants and training sessions for these organizations.

Victor Koroli from INFONET brought into discussion the issue of polling station accessibility, mentioning that “only 1% of them are completely accessible for people with disabilities”. He insisted on the need for solutions to involve people with various disabilities in the electoral process.

To encourage youth participation in voting, the National Youth Council of Moldova (CNTM), represented by Roman Banari, announced that in the immediate future debates and information campaigns will be organized in 36 localities. In addition to these, CNTM will conduct debates in universities and will prepare trainers to disseminate European values at the local level.

Development partners welcomed the CALC initiative to organize such information sessions, underlining the positive impact of these in creating a complete vision of the electoral process in the Republic of Moldova. They highlighted that free, transparent and fair elections are crucial for ensuring government accountability and maintaining the legitimacy of democracy. Through their commitment and ongoing support, partners have confirmed their desire to actively contribute to progress and have shown interest in collaborating and supporting the democratic electoral process in our country.

This project event was carried out by ADEPT with the support of the East European Foundation, from resources provided by Sweden.