CHISINAU, July 8. /TASS/. Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) may suspend the activities of a number of political parties ahead of the parliamentary elections on September 28, CEC secretary Dana Munteanu said.

"The activities of several parties may be suspended due to violations. Courts are considering at least seven such cases," she said, adding that one of the cases is related to "a bloc of political parties that engaged in canvassing during the presidential election last fall without an electoral contender status."

Among other violations, she cited vote buying and vote transferring, the punishment for which has recently been toughened by parliament.

"The amended legislation allows us to use stricter sanctions and intervene more swiftly in such situations. <…> This is probably the most severe sanction for contenders. If a contender offers money, goods or services, he or she will be excluded from the race," she explained and called on people to report any such cases to the police or National Anti-corruption Center.

During last year 's presidential election, the Central Electoral Commission removed Vasile Bolea, a candidate from the Victory opposition political bloc, from the race. Nevertheless, incumbent President Maia Sandu lost the vote to former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo inside the country. However, she finally managed to secure victory after more than 300,000 Moldovan labor migrants voted at 200 polling stations set up in EU countries. Opposition parties refused to recognize the election as being rigged.

Parliamentary elections in Moldova are scheduled for the fall of 2025 and, judging by opinion polls, the ruling party has little chance to win. The presidential authority in Moldova is limited, with real power being in the hands of the government which is appointed by the parliamentary majority. So, the final political landscape will be clear after the parliamentary polls.