MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2019) Moldovan citizens are set to go to the polls on Sunday to elect members of the parliament and vote in a consultative referendum, during which they will be asked on the issues of reducing the number of lawmakers and their possible recall in case of duty breaches.
A total of 14 parties and one bloc will compete for seats in the 101-member parliament. The main struggle is supposed to unfold between the Party of Socialists, which advocates for closer cooperation with Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union, and the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition bloc ACUM, both supporting European integration.
The elections will be held for the first time in a mixed electoral system. The new rules stipulate that 50 lawmakers will be elected via party lists, while 51 others will be elected from single-member Constituencies.
In the referendum, the electorate will be asked whether they want to see the number of lawmakers reduced to 61 and have the right to recall them in case of duty breaches.
