The political parties Chance, Alternative Force for Salvation of Moldova, and Victory, which are affiliated with the pro-Russian Victory (Pobeda) bloc associated with fugitive Ilan Șor (Ilan Shor), will not participate in the parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 September. On 16 August, the Supreme Court of Justice upheld the decision of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to exclude these parties from the list of candidates, rejecting their appeal. The court characterised their complaint regarding the CEC’s decision as “clearly unfounded,” highlighting that the right to be elected is subject to “predictable legal requirements.”
The ruling stated, “Criticism regarding the violation of electoral rights, freedom of expression, and freedom of association is unfounded. The right to be elected is not absolute; it is contingent upon the fulfilment of objective, non-discriminatory, and foreseeable legal requirements that ensure the integrity of the electoral process. This measure does not punish political ideologies nor does it dissolve or ban parties; rather, it restricts electoral participation due to the failure to meet essential procedural requirements within the specified deadlines. Furthermore, the court noted that discrimination is not an issue, as all prospective candidates operated under the same legal conditions, with any differences arising from how they met their legal obligations.”
The Victory bloc was established in April 2024 in Moscow and comprises four Moldovan parties: Chance, Revival, Alternative Force for Salvation of Moldova, and Victory. All of them are under the control of Ilan Șor, who has been sentenced to a 15-year prison term in Moldova.
In the wake of this decision, supporters of Ilan Șor organised a protest outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs, alleging police misconduct and demanding the release of those detained following the 16 August rally at the railway station while calling for the resignation of the current government.