Mayoral Rivals Face Run-Off in Moldovan Capital

The pro-Russian Socialist candidate Ion Ceban won the first round of elections for City Hall in Chisinau with 40.97 per cent of the vote, according to official data made public on Sunday night by the Central Electoral Commission - but did not get enough support to take the mayoralty outright.

Ceban was followed by Andrei Nastase with 32.12 per cent of the vote. Nastase is the candidate of an alliance consisting of his party, the Dignity and Truth Platform, PPDA, the Action and Solidarity Party, PAS, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, PLDM.

The Dignity and Truth Platform currently has no MPs in the national legislature and is the second biggest party in the non-parliamentary pro-European opposition.

Ceban and Nastase will face each other again in two weeks in the second round of the local elections.

Third place was taken by Silvia Radu, an independent candidate unofficially supported by the ruling Democratic Party, with 17.65 per cent of the votes.

Ion Ceban told a press briefing after coming first that he was satisfied with the result, which he said "proves that Chisinau's citizens want a change for the better in the capital".

He challenged his counterpart Nastase to face him in debates this week.

Nastase also welcomed the result, saying that it showed support for his fight against official corruption in the country.

"The power of the people has proven to be genuine. No matter how many resources this corrupt government has, the power of the people is based on sincerity. You have won against lies and divisions," said Nastase.

Apart from a few isolated incidents, the elections went ahead without legal violations.

Two right-wing candidates who openly demand Moldova's reunification with Romania,...