The Republic of
Moldova last weekend saw a new round of local elections with political and
geopolitical stakes. Observers with the Promo Lex Association have reported
over 300 incidents on election day, such as organized transport of voters to
polling stations or incentives given to voters such as gifts. The Central
Election Commission however said these offences will not impact the final
results. As anticipated by various surveys, Igor Dodon’s Socialist Party
grabbed the highest number of votes.
The left-wing pro-Moscow party won the election
in Balti, the second-largest city and in Orhei, central Moldova. In Balti,
currently home to a large Russian-speaking population, Renato Usatyi has won a
second term in office, after fleeing the country to avoid prosecution at the
end of his first term. Orhei, on the other hand, so far with controversial
businessman and politician Ilan Sor at its helm, who received a first-instance
conviction in the bank fraud case of 2014, elected Pavel Verejanu as its mayor
with over 70% of the vote. In turn, the Democratic Party, controlled by
controversial oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc
has won 130 of the total of 898 city halls in the first round, which is
an unexpectedly good result. In the capital-city Chisinau, housing a third of
the Republic’s population and accounting for half of the country’s GDP, the
mayor will be decided after a second ballot, to be held on November 3.
Socialist Ion Ceban, a close associate of President Dodon, will be facing the
current Interior Minister Andrei Nastase in the runoff. Ceban grabbed 40% of
the vote, while Nastase 30%, which is the same score as last year, when Natase
won the election but the results were invalidated. The former Liberal Mayor of
Chisinau between 2007-2017, Dorin Chirtoaca, won some 10% of the vote, urging
his constituents to vote against Ceban in the second round. Pundits believe
Ceban is unlikely to rally any additional support, considering Chisinau’s overt
pro-Western affiliation, a city that has never elected pro-Russian mayors and
half of whose population still argue in favor of a reunification with Romania.
This is why many expect Andrei Nastase to rely on the support of the entire
right wing and win the election comfortably.
(translated by V. Palcu)