The head of the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, Maia Sandu, won the first round of the presidential elections in Moldova on November 1.

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the republic, Sandu won 36.16% of the vote.

The incumbent head of state Igor Dodon ranks second with a score of 32.61%.

The third place is taken by the candidate from Our Party Renato Usatii with 16.9% of the votes.

Violetta Ivanov from the Shor party got 6.49%, the chairman of the Dignity and Truth Platform party Andrei Nastase - 3.26%.

This is followed by the National Unity Party candidate Octavian Cicu (2.01%), the Liberal Democratic Party candidate Tudor Deliu (1.37%) and the head of the Liberal Party, Dorin Chirtoaca (1.2%). 

The CEC clarified that the elections were declared valid, the turnout was 42.76%. 

Thus, Sandu and Dodon, based on the results of processing all the votes, go to the second round of elections, which will be held on November 15.

According to the chairman of the Central Election Commission of the republic Doreen Chimil, the first round of the presidential elections in the country passed without significant violations.

“At the moment, we can state that the elections were held in a free atmosphere, without serious violations.

Now the task of the electoral bodies is to systematize the registered violations, analyze them in order to exclude them in the future, ”TASS quoted him as saying.

He also added that eight polling stations outside Moldova have been extended by two hours due to the queues of those who want to vote.

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President of the republic Igor Dodon congratulated Maia Sanda on reaching the second round, but urged her to apologize for the statement made shortly before the elections that the country's authorities would falsify the voting results.

At the same time, he expressed confidence that Sandu owed her victory in the first round to the Moldovan migrants who supported her in Western countries.

“Last night we all noted that the diaspora was very active in these elections.

We can state that the electorate in these countries lives a parallel life, has its own political preferences, which in many respects do not correspond to the majority of the population who lives and works in Moldova, ”TASS quoted Dodon as saying.

In addition, Dodon expressed confidence in his victory in the second round of elections.

“We will be able to mobilize the electorate in the second round.

The first round showed that the voters of the left and center-left sectors make up from 55% to 60% in our country.

And I am convinced that this will have an impact on the second round, ”he said during the briefing.

In turn, Sandu called on her supporters to mobilize to win the second round of elections, to "change the situation in the country for the better," and also announced the need to start the process of lustration in the republic.

“We need to start the purge of the political class in Moldova with the presidency, which we are doing now, then there will be a purge in parliament,” RIA Novosti quoted her as saying.

Sandu also declared the inadmissibility of falsifications, noting that her supporters have sent about 300 complaints about violations to law enforcement agencies and will insist on their consideration, TASS reports.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the election results, noted that Moscow intends to work with any president who will be elected by the people of the republic.

“It is necessary to analyze the results of the elections after the second round, which will take place on November 15, now it is too early to make forecasts.

If the people of Moldova choose this or that representative, we will work with everyone, ”said Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.

Let us remind you that at the elections held in Moldova on Sunday, November 1, eight candidates ran for the highest state post.

The current president Igor Dodon and his main competitor Maya Sandu were considered the leaders of the race.

In 2016, both politicians also participated in the elections; Sandu lost to Dodon in the second round.

For a long time, the President of Moldova was elected by the parliament.

However, in 2016, the country's Constitutional Court ruled to hold presidential elections through direct nationwide voting.