Moldova: Court set to confirm new parliament election results
Moldova's Constitutional Court is due next week to confirm the results of the 28 September parliamentary election and validate the mandates of the newly elected MPs.
The session is scheduled for Thursday, 16 October, at 10:00 AM.
The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) approved its 190-page report on the election results on 5 October, submitting it to the court a day later.
The official tabulation report shows that the 28 September elections saw a 52.24% turnout, with 1,609,579 citizens voting. A total of 2,738,735 people were registered on the main electoral lists. CEC President Angelica Caraman stated that 1,609,715 ballot papers were issued, of which 136 were unused and 30,857 were declared invalid.
Of the 1,578,722 valid votes, the pro-EU Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) won 792,557, with the largest opposition, the pro-Russian "Patriotic" Electoral Bloc, securing 381,984.
Following the reallocation of mandates, PAS has secured 55 seats (a majority), the Patriotic Bloc 26, and the three smaller parties 20 seats combined.
The Constitutional Court's decision must be published in the Official Gazette within 48 hours of its announcement.
President Maia Sandu must convene the new Parliament's inaugural session within 30 days of the election. The newly elected MPs then have 10 days to appoint a Speaker, Vice-Speakers and the Permanent Bureau, and to form parliamentary factions.
Following consultations with the factions, the head of state will nominate a candidate for Prime Minister. That candidate must present the government's programme and cabinet list to parliament within 15 days. The government will be sworn in if it wins the majority vote.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
