Voters head to polls in six Moldova localities May 18
On Sunday, May 18, new local elections are scheduled in six localities across the Republic of Moldova to elect their mayors and local councillors in new local elections.
According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), the poll will be held in Călugăr commune, Fălești district; Chiperceni commune, Orhei district; Talmaza village, Ștefan-Vodă district; Boldurești commune, Nisporeni district; Tabani village, Briceni district; and Temeleuți village, Florești district.
In five of the localities – Călugăr, Chiperceni, Talmaza, Boldurești, and Tabani – mayors will be elected. In Temeleuți village, voters will elect their local council.
Twenty-three candidates have entered the race for the position of mayor, 14 of whom are nominated by political parties, and 9 are running as independents.
Notably, in Boldurești commune, Nisporeni district, new local elections for mayor are being held after it was determined that Nicanor Ciorchină was unable to perform his duties. However, he is running for a new term while being accused of fatally striking a 14-year-old child on the evening of February 19, 2024, and fleeing the scene. He reportedly attempted to conceal evidence of the accident and evaded criminal prosecution.
To organize the election, the CEC printed 16,747 ballot papers: 16,647 in Romanian and 100 in Russian. The 13 polling stations will be open from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and approximately 17,000 voters are expected to cast their ballots.
The elections will be monitored by 21 national observers accredited by the CEC.
Voters unable to travel to the polling station due to health or other valid reasons may request a mobile ballot box. On election day, requests are accepted until 2:00 PM, only upon presentation of a medical certificate.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
