Citizens forced to participate in euro referendum in Moldovan elections

Representatives of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) are forcing citizens at polling stations to participate against their will in the referendum on EU membership, former prime minister and presidential candidate Ion Chicu reported."Across the country, colleagues inform us that PAS representatives in polling stations are forcing citizens to take the ballot for the referendum. This is a flagrant violation," Chicu wrote on his Telegram channel. He called on voters not to be afraid of the authorities.Moldova's presidential election will take place on October 20. On the same date, on the initiative of outgoing President Maia Sandu, a referendum will be held, in which citizens will be able to vote on the country's accession to the European Union. Opposition parties and civil society representatives have criticized Ms. Sandu's plans to combine the election with a plebiscite. They accused her of wanting to use the referendum to slow down the decline in popularity of the president and the ruling p arty, amid a severe economic crisis and opposition protests.Source: Burkina Information Agency