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Sergey Baburin, MP and Duma VP: "Journalists should be alternative election observers."TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - 200 journalists, photographers and cameramen are already in place to cover Sunday's vote in Pridnestrovie, the fourth presidential election since the young but unrecognized country declared independence in 1990.
" - To the presidential elections in Pridnestrovie have so far arrived 200 journalists, representing 80 foreign media outlets," said Svetlana Antonov, vice minister of the PMR Ministry of Information and Communications.
The journalists join a slightly lower number of international election observers from various European countries, with the notable absense of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE.
" - Tiraspol has a clear wish to show the OSCE that it can conduct clean and transparent elections, following Council of Europe standards. So it always invites the OSCE to send a team of observers and see for themselves," says a Western diplomat in Chisinau.
" - But it looks like the OSCE prefers to comment on elections in Transdniestria from a distance, without having the benefit of observing them and noting the extent to which they are free and fair. It is all a bit sad, really, and it puts the seriousness of the OSCE's statements in doubt."
- Journalists as alternative election observers
No such ambiguity is seen from the largest country in the region, Russia. Sergey Baburin, an MP from Russia who is also the vice Speaker of the lower house, the Duma, leads a delegation of foreign parliamentarians who participate as election observers. As reported by New Region press, in a pre-election briefing Saturday, he urged the many journalists to act as "informal election observers" as well.
" - There are many of us, and many of you. Let us all observe this election and report our conclusions freely and openly," said the congressman.
" - I want all of us, journalists included, to report on election violation if they occur in Pridnestrovie. Let us work together," Baburin told the assembled journalists.
- No available hotel rooms
To cover Pridnestrovie's presidential election, an independent press center has been opened in Tiraspol. It is headed by Tatiana Yermolayeva, a representative of the organization "Lawyers for Human Rights."
Journalists from all over the world began arriving in Tiraspol a week ago. By Monday, press accreditations to cover the elections had so far been handed out to 32 different mass media and news organizations, from France, Germany, Austria, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Great Britain. Later in the week, a group of journalists from the United States arrived, along with numerous other delegations. The total number of mass media now stands at 80, and may grow by a couple of late arrivals by early Sunday.
132 journalists have registrered for press accreditation with the independent press center in Tiraspol. They are accompanied by approximately 70 photographers and cameramen, all representing foregn media organizations.
Hotel accomodations in Tiraspol, the capital, are currently sold out. Arriving journalists are advised to seek private accomodation with local families. The staff of the independent international press center may be able to help, and local volunteers - surprised by the many foreign observers and journalists - are also offering to help.
" - The world is finally taking an interest in this new and emerging country," says Petru Gladchi, a civil society activist and ethnic Moldovan. In Romanian, Pridnestrovie is called Transnistria and in English it is sometimes translated as Transdniester.
" - The world is finally taking an interest in our evolving democracy, and the struggles with Moldova's unresolved territorial claim, and our country's moves towards international recognition of its statehood. We have nothing to hide. We just ask that everyone reports the facts objectively, as they see them, without the propaganda that Moldova uses to paint us as something black which we are not," added Gladchi.
" - It is everyone's right to want to live in freedom, and to seek peaceful, democratic change."
See also:
» Early voting begins in PMR's presidential election [1]