Presidential elections to be held in Moldova on 30 October

Chisinau, 1 April /MOLDPRES/- The presidential election will take place on 30 October. A draft decision to this effect was voted at a parliament meeting with the votes of 50 MPs today.

The document was registered by lawmakers Sergiu Sirbu, Igor Vremea, Roman Boţan and Ştefan Creanga at parliament on 31 March. Today, the draft was introduced on the agenda of the parliamentary meeting, at an initiative by the Democratic Party (PDM). The MPs of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), Party of Socialists (PSRM) and Party of Communists (PCRM) voted against.

“The parliament is to set the election day by at least three months before the polls, but we need time to adjust the legislation in accordance with the new provisions, organize the elections and provide equal chances to all contenders; therefore ,we proposed 30 October,” PDM lawmaker Sergiu Sirbu said.

“We believe that this day is fit for organizing presidential election. The Liberals will back the draft”, PL leader Mihai Ghimpu said.

“This initiative, which have come overnight, is strange. We have more questions as to the procedure in which the Constitution was amended and we demanded an international expertise. The Socialists will not support this draft decision”, PSRM leader Igor Dodon said.

“We do not see postponement of organizing the presidential election for as late as next autumn as grounded; we think it might take place in summer. The parliamentary faction of PLDM believes that a delay of events is desired,” the PLDM deputy leader,Vadim Pistrinciuc, said.

The document will enter into force on 30 July, with the date marking also the beginning of the electoral period.

On 4 March, the Constitutional Court ruled that the president would be elected by direct vote. Subsequently, the parliament set up a working group meant to propose amendments and completions to the Electoral Code, in order to ensure possibility for applying new constitutional provisions on election of president by direct vote.

The mandate of current President Nicolae Timofti expired on 23 March. The court decided that the president was to exercise his mandate till new head of state takes the oath.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor A. Raileanu)