On Sunday, September 28, Moldova commenced its parliamentary elections to choose 101 deputies who will govern the country for the next four years. This information is reported by News Maker.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM and will remain open until 9:00 PM. A total of 1973 stations are operational, including 12 for residents of the Transnistria region. Moldovans can check their voting registration online.
Fourteen parties, four blocs, and four independent candidates are participating in the elections. The main contest is expected to take place between the ruling party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) and the Patriotic Bloc, which includes socialists, communists, the “Heart of Moldova” party, and the “Future of Moldova” parties.
Days before the elections, the Chișinău Court of Appeal suspended the activity of the “Heart of Moldova” party due to allegations of illegal financing. Consequently, the CEC removed the party from the elections.
According to surveys, “Our Party” and the “Alternative” bloc have a strong chance of entering parliament, with various data indicating they will receive between 4 to 10% of the votes. Parties need to secure at least 5% of the votes to enter parliament, blocs require 7%, and independent candidates need 2%.
Elections are considered valid if at least 30% of voters participate.
For voting abroad, 301 polling stations have been set up, the most in Italy (75), Germany (36), France (26), the United Kingdom (24), and Romania (23). Voting by mail is also available in 10 countries, including the USA and Canada.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Technologies of Moldova, Doina Nistor, accused Russia of a cyberattack on the country’s Central Election Commission just days before the parliamentary elections.