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Andrey Safonov (right) will appeal the decision which disqualifies his presidential run on alleged signature fraud.

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - By decision of CEC, the Central Election Commission, journalist and opposition candidate Andrey Safonov is out of the race for president of Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria or Transdniester. The outspoken Smirnov critic was disqualified when a check of the signatures supporting his candidacy turned up 2,148 fakes.

As a result, the Central Election Commission of PMR announced on Monday that it refused to register Safonov as a candidate for the presidential elections. In the petition filed in support of his candicacy were included a large quantity of false signatures: Of 9,436 signatures, 2,148 of them - equivalent to 22.76% - were either false or belonging to individuals under 18 years of age. According to data by graphologists and interior ministry officials which assisted CEC with the verification of signatures, only 7,288 of the submitted signatures correspond to real voters. This is short of the 7,897 signature threshold for a valid candidacy.

CEC also received written statements from ninety voters who claimed that although their signatures appeared on Andrey Safonov's lists, they did not sign on behalf of the would-be candidate. On this basis, the Central Election Commission decided to turn down Safonov's registration, effectively barring him from the 2006 presidential run.

Safonov calls decision politically motivated; appeals

Andrey Safonov held a press conference Monday, calling himself the "only opposition candidate". According to him, the refusal by the election authority to let him run is a politically motivated decision:

" - This is political violence through the use of an administrative resource", said Safonov. "The authorities are scared of losing."

Staying at the CEC with his vice presidential running mate at his side, Andrey Safonov informed the assembled journalists that he will immediately be filing an appeal with the Pridnestrovie Supreme Court. The Court has been known in the past to often rule against the cabinet and even overturn laws from parliament which it deemed contrary to democracy or unconstitutional.

Speaking on behalf of CEC, election commission chairman Peter Denisenko dismissed the claims that the refusal was politically motivated:
" - There is no political undercurrent in this event. The candidate handled the signatures irresponsibly. The signatures were manufactured. I obtained official confirmation of this," said Denisenko.

Pridnestrovie's presidential election is scheduled for 10 December. It will be held in the presence of a large number of local and foreign journalists, as well as more than 100 international election observers.

Three candidates have already passed the registration requirements. Current president Igor Smirnov is seeking re-election and is widely seen as the frontrunner. Challenging him are Communist Party candidate Nadesha Bondarenko and businessman Peter Tomayly, a member of parliament for the Renewal party. The party's leader, young opposition politician Yevgeny Shevchuk, 38, is Speaker of parliament and has decided to not seek the presidency this year. If he were to run, and get elected, he would have to give up his current post as speaker of the opposition-controlled parliament.

See also:
» Outspoken Smirnov-critic Safonov launches presidential bid in Pridnestrovie [1]