Center for Investigative Journalism, Ziarul de Garda, along with several NGOs are concerned over attempts to restrict investigative journalists’ access to more public information about the election process and candidates in the presidential race.

According to a statement signed by representatives of civil society, there is evidence that access to information is restricted to journalists and the public authorities do not react to the investigations published over this period. “Since the beginning of the election campaign, there were more signals on corruption and election fraud, but the reaction of public authorities was below the standards of an associated state with EU. Investigative journalists from Ziarul de Garda, the Center for Investigative Journalism, the Independent Press Association faced many obstacles in investigating articles and videos about risk of election fraud, cases of manipulation and infringement. Journalists signals concealing of information about wealth, income, interests of candidates and campaign funding", reads the statement.

The signatories of the statement call  on development partners  of the Republic of Moldova, missions of international observers to take note of the difficulties faced by investigative reporters in this campaign, the poor or zero reaction of state institutions to journalistic investigations and limiting access to information about campaign funding.

Portal Anticoruptie.md informed that the Central Election Commission limited journalists' access to subscription lists and financial reports of electoral contenders. The Center for Investigative Journalism sent to CEC several requests for access to information in this regard. CEC members invoked personal data protection, addressing the National Center for Personal Data Protection.