 | TOGETHER FOREVER? Transdniestria agreed to a 2003 plan for becoming part of a common state with Moldova. But Moldova surprisingly turned it down, for reasons that were never fully explained. [more] |  | | |  | DOES SIZE MATTER? Only if a country is too small to stand on its own. Here, we compare PMR with others around the world. [more] |
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Unfounded claims inflame Tiraspol; OSCE flag burns
Yelling "No to OCSE double standards", youth in Tiraspol protested against fraud claims questioning Sunday's referendum. The protesters burned a flag outside OSCE's offices. No evidence has been presented of fraud and OSCE never sent any election observers of its own.
An improvised OSCE-flag was lit aflame in Tiraspol Saturday in protest against undocumented statements by the organizationTIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Protesting inflammatory statements by the newly appointed head of the OSCE mission to Moldova, Louis O’Neill, youth here held a rally Saturday before the OSCE's Tiraspol office.
The organizers of the rally, youth group Breakthrough, were outraged at statements by OSCE-chief O'Neill who did not recognize last weekend's referendum as democratic. Previously, OSCE declined an invitation to help organize the vote, and did not send observers to monitor the process. It had no participation and, says Breakthrough-members, no way of evaluating that the vote was not carried out to international democratic standards.
More than 150 young people came to OSCE's headquarters carrying flags of and banners with the photo of revolutionary icon Ernesto Che Guevara. The protesters chanted slogans like “O’Neill, you are wrong!” and “NO – to OSCE double standards,” a reference to what they see as a selective pick and choose approach to democracy from an organization whose mandate includes democracy-building measures.
" - Under American leadership since 1993, the OSCE mission in Moldova is a surrogate agency which only recognizes democratic elections if the result fits with what the United States likes," complained Breakthough-leader Alex Gorelovsky.
" - But if the free and popular will of the people is something else, then Washington and the OSCE immediately cry fraud and claim that the elections weren't democratic. They are sore losers. They refuse the recognize democracy unless the vote goes their way, and now their commitment to democratic nation building rings hollow," finished the youth leader before launching into another chant of "O’Neill, you are wrong!”, “Shame!” and “NO – to OSCE double standards.”
- OSCE floats unsubstantiated fraud claims
To hear Moldova say it, voters who participated in the referendum in Pridnestrovie on Sunday were practically herded to the polls at gun-point. And by questioning the validity of the result, using words like "intimidation", critics say that OSCE-newbie Louis O'Neill bought the Moldovan spin hook, line and sinker.
A total of 174 international observers and 215 accredited journalists from all over the world presented a different picture. Reuters, Associated Press, BBC and other leading news outlets reported a "festive atmosphere", with smiling voters filling the streets and plazas and happy to spend the sunny day by letting their voices be heard. At 78.6%, voter turnout was a record high and, election officials say, another indicator of just how important the independence vote was for the citizens of this unrecognized country.
OSCE, failing to observe the vote, had to rely on third-hand speculation in order to build a case questioning the validity of the referendum's results. But lack of presence did not stop the organization's local head from passing decisive judgment on how the vote was carried out, and calling the pro-independence result fraudulent. O'Neill did not offer any details and did not elaborate on his claims. A follow-up request for substantiation failed to produce any proof either, and no documentation of fraud or voter intimidation has yet been presented by the organization or by any other groups or individuals.
- "US-style democracy" under fire
Giving American diplomacy a bad name, the head of OSCE's Moldova mission maintained his claims of illegitimacy despite statements to the contrary from actual international observers who personally all monitored the voting process first-hand. These eye witnesses in the form of international election observers came from Germany, France, Poland, Israel, Russia, Kosovo, Belgium, Italy, and England, as well as delegations from nearby Moldova and Ukraine. In their reports, they all emphasized the peaceful, open, democratic way in which the referendum was carried out.
" - Those who were here, who saw the whole thing first hand, they all agree that it was a legitimate, free referendum," noted Alex Gorelovsky. "Only outsiders like O'Neill and his group, who didn't come to observe, are now claiming that there was fraud. What is he talking about? To this, we can only say: ‘Shame to the US-styled democracy!’”
During the rally, young people chanting “No to OCSE double standards!” burned an improvised flag of the OSCE mission.
Breakthough youth movement leader Alena Arshinova said in her address to the rally: “Not once has OSCE displayed a commitment to the people who want to live in an independent and peaceful state. Today, we have gathered here to voice our protest against OSCE's anti-democratic conduct. We want to have a dignified and safe future. We – the youth of Transdnestr – say: ‘NO – to OCSE double standards!’ and ‘YES – to statehood recognition of PMR!’”
Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria or Transdnestr, declared independence in 1990. Despite failure to obtain international recognition, it has functioned as a de facto independent state ever since. It has its own currency, flag, constitution and president elected democratically in elections which the OSCE refused to take part in, but which other international observers declared free and fair.
In Sunday's referendum voters were also asked whether they wanted to abandon independence and unite with Moldova. Final results, certified by international observers and in line with exit polls, showed 94.6 percent against Moldova, with only 3.4 percent supporting it. (With information from Regnum News Agency)
Protesters supporting two left-wing parties in Pridnestrovie demand the early resignation of President Igor Smirnov. They blame Smirnov for an increase in food prices and disagree with his government's economic policies. The demand came at a protest rally held in Tiraspol, which was billed as the largest opposition rally in the young country's 18 year old history. . . 
