CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2019) The chairman of Moldova's Central Election Commission (CEC) Dorin Cimil said Sunday that the country's local elections went smoothly, without serious violations and the Socialist candidate, Ion Ceban, is leading the race with a 42.6 percent of votes.
"It was a very important day for the whole country, we inform you that the voting process has been completed throughout the country, local leaders were elected, as well as four deputies in single-mandate Constituencies. The elections were held calmly, without serious incidents that could affect the voting results," Cimil said.
According to the preliminary results of 53 percent of the counted protocols, representative of the country's Party of Socialists is ahead of other candidates for the Chisinau mayor's seat, the CEC reported.
Ceban currently receives 42.6 percent of the vote, while his main rival, the leader of Dignity and Truth Platform Party Andrei Nastase receives 30.6 percent.
The local elections were held on Sunday in all Moldovan municipalities, including its capital. The country's citizens elected 898 leaders of towns and villages as well as more than 11,000 local people's deputies (in district, city and rural councils). According to the CEC, the turnout in Chisinau was 36.05 percent and 41.68 percent throughout the country.
According to the constitution of Moldova, the turnout threshold in general local elections is 25 percent. The winner is the candidate who has received more than half the electorate's votes included in the lists. If the votes are less than 50 percent, then there will be a second round of elections in two weeks, where the winner is the one who gains a simple majority. There is no turnout threshold in the second round.
