Moldovan electoral body explains provisions on setting runoff election for 5 December

Chisinau, 24 November /MOLDPRES/ - The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has called on the electoral contenders and candidates for the mayor office in the six Moldovan settlements, where the runoff election is to be held, to carry out an electoral campaign in strict accordance with the electoral legislation’s provisions.  

According to the central electoral authority, the call was launched following more criticism and speculations which appeared in the public space. ‘’In the context of groundless charges, which appeared in public space, about alleged infringements of the electoral legislation and procedures, CEC comes up with explanations about some provisions of the decision on establishing the runoff election, approved at the meeting from 23 November. The CEC’s task is to create the best conditions for all Moldova’s citizens to be able to freely exercise their constitutional right to elect and be elected at free and fair elections and the electoral legislation gives chances and conditions to this end,’’ the press release says.     

According to the Electoral Code, if no candidate has more than a half of the validly expressed votes, in two weeks a runoff election is held, with two candidates who got the largest number of votes in the first round of the voting. These two candidates are registered in the ballot paper in the descending order of the number of votes picked up in the first round of the ballot. According to the Article 51, paragraph 5, of the Electoral Code, the electoral contender can withdraw his/her candidacy in a written statement, submitted to the electoral body who registered him/her, but not later than seven days before the election day.  

The electoral authority explained that, under the point 26 of the cited regulation, ‘’if one of the two candidates withdraws from the electoral race before the voting day, if the runoff election is held, the ballot will be carried out between the candidate left and the next candidate, who got the largest number of votes in the first round of the voting and his/her registration in the ballot paper will be made according to the procedure from the first round.’’