CHISINAU (Sputnik) – The Moldovan presidential elections were recognized valid on Sunday as the turnout exceeded 33.3 percent, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said.
“The turnout of voters is 33.3 percent, 955 823 people,” the CEC said in a statement issued on its website.
A total of 1,981 polling stations opened in Moldova and 100 more – abroad, including 25 in Italy, 11 in Romania, eight in Russia and two in Ukraine.
In March, the constitutional court ruled that Moldova's president should be elected by popular vote for the first time since 1996, replacing the system that had the parliament pick the nation's leader. Nine candidates are seeking the presidency. According to political analysts, the major candidates are the Socialist Party’s Igor Dodon, who is a supporters of stronger ties with Russia, and pro-European Action and Solidarity Party’s Maia Sandu. If no candidate wins an outright majority in the first round, there will be a runoff on November 13.
