Republic of Moldova before Presidential Election

Moldova to hold presidential election in less than a week

Valentin Țigău, 25.10.2016, 13:24

There are ten candidates running for president of the Republic of Moldova in the election due on October 30th, when for the first time since 1996, voters will directly elect the head of state. In March 2016, the Constitutional Court in Chisinau declared as unconstitutional several amendments to the Supreme Law, which is the Constitution, amendments made in 2000, including the one providing for the countrys president to be elected by Parliament.

One of the candidates is Marian Lupu, former speaker of Parliament and leader of the Democratic Party, who pleads for the consolidation of the statehood of the Republic of Moldova and the “Moldovan nation, as well as for European integration which should not isolate the Republic of Moldova from its Eastern partners.

Former interim head of state and president of the Liberal Party, Mihai Ghimpu has a pro-union orientation advocating an urgent union with Romania in his election campaign.

Maia Sandu is the candidate of the Action and Solidarity Party. According to opinion polls, she stands the greatest chances – 16% of the votes – of all democratic candidates in the presidential runoff, where her rival might be socialist Igor Dodon.

According to the same polls, Dodon comes first in the options of the Moldovan electorate with 30-35% of the votes. If Igor Dodon becomes president, he plans to turn Moldova into a federative republic and suggest that the breakaway region of Tiraspol join the federation having extended prerogatives. In Dodons view, Chisinau shall also give up its Association Agreement with the European Union.

Other presidential candidates are Iurie Leanca, former foreign minister and leader of the European Peoples Party of Moldova, Dmitri Ciubasenco, a journalist, representative of Our Party, a center-left party led by the controversial businessman and tycoon, Renato Usatai, leader of the pro-Russian opposition in Moldova.

The other four candidates standing minimum chances are independent candidate Silvia Radu, a businesswoman, Moldovas honorary consul in Spain, independent candidate Maia Laguta, an actress and journalist, Ana Gutu, a former deputy and champion of Moldovas Union with Romania, independent candidate Valeriu Ghiletchi, a Baptist pastor and deputy.

According to the Central Electoral Commission in Chisinau, some 3 million ballots will be printed, a quarter of which in Russian. Students and 18-year old pupils studying in Romania might get free return train tickets to get to the Republic of Moldova and cast their vote. According to the latest opinion polls, 56.8% of the respondents said they would go to the polls.