Debate between Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo will be held at the Palace of the Republic on Sunday
After several rounds of discussions and negotiations, the staffs of the winners of the first round of the presidential elections, Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo, reached a compromise. The electoral debate between the two candidates will take place on Sunday, October 27, at the Palace of the Republic. The information was confirmed by both election staffs.
In a live on Facebook, the PAS candidate, Maia Sandu, confirmed that the debate will take place on Sunday, the day proposed by her opponent. Sandu also explained why the proposal regarding the moderator of the debates was accepted. "They came up with Gheorghe Gonța's proposal, we, like other people and especially journalists, believe that there must be an independent moderator, but in the situation where they insist, we go to the debate with whoever they feel comfortable with. It is important for us to have this debate, so that people can see what are our answers to important questions for all citizens", said Sandu. Adrian Bălutel, member of the PAS candidate's staff, said for "Teleradio-Moldova" that the proposal to hold the debate at the Palace of the Republic was also approved.
The Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM), which supports Alexandr Stoianoglo, said in a statement that Sunday, October 27, was the compromise solution and that the format and structure of the debate are to be determined.
We remind that, immediately after the announcement of the preliminary results of the first round of voting, candidates Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo launched mutual invitations to participate in an electoral debate, before the second round. The PAS candidate initially proposed that the debate take place this Thursday or Friday and be hosted by Moldova 1 TV. However, the proposals were rejected by her opponent, announced Adrian Băluțel, a member of Maia Sandu's electoral staff. He said that the proposals of the opposing candidate's team were accepted to ensure the organization of the debate soon. "Our goal is for the debate to happen soon, so that citizens have the opportunity to compare the visions of the candidates before the elections," said Băluțel.
On the other hand, the team of candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo insisted from the start that the electoral debate take place on a neutral platform, with two moderators. They proposed next Thursday, October 31, three days before the elections.
