The Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections repeatedly urges the Central Electoral Commission to organize genuine, official and transparent public consultations on the draft decision to establish polling stations abroad. The coalition reiterates the request to invite all interested parties, at least by publishing an official announcement on the CEC website. The coalition expresses its openness to participate in all public consultations organized by the CEC and not only on the issue of opening polling stations abroad. The opening of polling stations abroad is one of the topics intensely and widely debated on the eve of each election. In the last few weeks, several stakeholders, including diaspora voters, have publicly or online expressed their doubts and fears regarding the fairness of the process of setting up polling stations abroad. Starting from 2019, the Central Electoral Commission was appointed responsible for the establishment of polling stations abroad based on the criteria established by law. To date there is no clear methodology for applying these criteria. The member organizations of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Promo-LEX and ADEPT proposed to the Commission clear and transparent mechanisms and methodologies regarding the establishment of the number of polling stations abroad and their geographical distribution, without receiving any response from the CEC. From these considerations and with a view to ensuring a consultative process as transparent and extensive as possible, on September 8, 2019 the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections sent a request to the CEC in which it requested the Commission to organize public consultations on the draft decision on the establishment polling stations abroad, this approach was also published on the website of the Coalition. The coalition emphasizes that according to the Government Decision no. 967 of August 9, 2016 regarding the mechanism of public consultation with civil society in the decision-making process, the information about the organization of public consultations regarding the draft decision is presented in the form of an announcement, accompanied by the draft decision and related materials it (comprehensive information notes, analytical studies, ex-ante analyses, tables of agreement with the Community legislation, other materials that were the basis for the elaboration of the draft decision, etc.). The member organizations of the Coalition are aware that the materials related to the draft decision regarding the opening of polling stations abroad can only be finalized after September 16, 2020, when the period offered for the prior registration of voters abroad ends. Only then will the final number of pre-registrations be known. The CEC has less than 10 days, until September 25, 2020, to decide on the number and geographical location of polling stations abroad. Thus, genuine public consultations can take place precisely in this time frame. However, until the morning of September 15, 2020, the Commission did not publish any announcement regarding the organization of public consultations, nor the draft decision regarding the establishment of polling stations abroad with the related materials. On September 14, 2020, the CEC invited the members of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections to a meeting with the theme of setting up polling stations abroad via an electronic message. The CEC has expressed its willingness to organize the meeting on September 15, 2020 at 3 p.m. The electronic invitation also did not contain any related materials on the basis of which discussions could take place. Please note that the meeting was planned to take place one day before the expiration of the pre-registration period, which prevents the organization of genuine consultations on this subject. The decision of the Coalition Council, brought to the attention of the CEC on the same day, was to reiterate the need to organize genuine public consultations, but emphasized that they can only take place after September 16, 2020, when the deadline for prior registration also expires for these consultations all stakeholders must participate. CALC members reiterate that the topic of opening polling stations abroad is one of public interest and that they will only participate in a public meeting, organized after September 16, 2020, with the invitation of all relevant and interested parties. www.alegeliber.md - The Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections is a permanent, voluntary entity, made up of 35 public organizations from the Republic of Moldova with the aim of contributing to the development of democracy in the Republic of Moldova by promoting and conducting free and fair elections in accordance with ODIHR standards (OSCE), of the Council of Europe and its affiliated specialized institutions.