(MENAFN) Moldova’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has disqualified yet another opposition party from joining the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday.

This move has sparked criticism from various quarters, who argue that the pro-Western administration is intensifying efforts to stifle political dissent.

According to CEC chair Angela Karaman, the commission voted to invalidate the registration of the Greater Moldova (Moldova Mare) party and eliminate all its candidates from the electoral list.

The decision saw six votes in favor, while three members abstained from voting.

Victoria Furtuna, the head of the Greater Moldova party, strongly objected to the ruling, labeling it “unjust.”

She pledged to dispute the verdict in the Court of Appeal, claiming she was informed of the hearing only 90 minutes in advance, leaving her no opportunity to examine the case documentation.

Furtuna accused the CEC of displaying “excessive loyalty” to the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS). “Those abusing their positions today will one day be held criminally responsible,” she declared.

Government officials have accused the Greater Moldova party of unlawfully utilizing foreign finances and neglecting to disclose campaign expenditures.

Additionally, the CEC claimed the party had engaged in a covert electoral alliance with other prohibited organizations.

Earlier the same day, the opposition group Heart of Moldova, part of the Patriotic Bloc, was similarly barred from the election. Its leader, Irina Vlah, condemned the decision as an act of “lawfare,” echoing growing concerns over the fairness of the electoral process.

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