More than 200 detainees in two penitentiary institutions on the left bank of the Nistru River will exercise their right to vote in presidential elections 2020, announced the head of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Dorin Cimil.

The head of the Electoral Commission declared during a current meeting that “for the first time, detained people in Penitentiaries no. 8 and no. 12 in the Bender district, in the breakaway Transnistria region. The electoral officials from Anenii Noi district, the central part of Moldova, went to Bender to ensure the right to vote of 223 detainees and employees.” 

Moldova has today presidential elections.

Eight electoral contestants are in the race, of which political parties nominate seven, and the current president of Moldova participates independently, supported by the Socialists’ Party.

 In order to be declared valid, at least 1/3 of voters registered in the electoral lists must participate in the election.

List of candidates:

1. Renato Usatii, Political Party “Our Party”.
2. Andrei Năstase, Political Party – Dignity and Truth Platform
3. Tudor Deliu, Liberal Democratic Party of the Republic of Moldova
4. Igor Dodon, Citizens’ Assembly
5. Violeta Ivanov, “Șor” Political Party
6. Maia Sandu, Action and Solidarity Party
7. Octavian Țîcu, National Unity Party
8. Dorin Chirtoaca, UNIREA Political Movement.

• LIVE UPDATE / Presidential elections. Start voting. More than 3 million Moldovan citizens are expected at the polls

The Central Electoral Commission set up 2,143 polling stations, 42 of which are in the unrecognized administrative Transnistrian region, and 139 were opened for Moldovan citizens abroad.

Moldova’s presidential election is taking place in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic: The latest information, provided by the Ministry of Health, shows that  839 new infections have been registered in the last 24 hours. In total, more than 76,000 Moldovans fell ill and more than 1,700 died from COVID-19.