Polling stations for local elections in Moldova opened across the country, with residents of the republic electing mayors of localities, as well as members of district, city and village councils for the next four years on Sunday.
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At 7.00 more than 2 thousand polling stations on the territory of Moldova began work. Video surveillance has been installed at voting places. Several thousand police officers are deployed to ensure security at polling stations during local elections in Moldova.
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Residents of Moldova must elect about 900 mayors of cities and heads of rural administrations, as well as over 11 thousand deputies of local (city, district, village) councils. Council members are elected in one round of elections. Mayoral candidates could face a second round if none of them can get more than 50% of the vote in the first round. The key struggle will unfold for the seats of mayors of the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, and the second largest city, Balti. In Chisinau, 28 people are vying for the mayor’s seat – this is a historical record.
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1,092 national observers from 8 different organizations, as well as 400 international observers, were accredited to observe the voting.
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According to the legislation of Moldova, local elections in each of the country’s settlements will be recognized as valid if more than a quarter of the citizens included in the electoral lists take part in them.
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Polling stations will close at 21.00.
