IFES Election Guide - Country Profile: Moldova

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Referendum
September 5, 2010
Parliamentary (Tentative)
November 2010

Moldova
Republic Of Moldova
Region: Europe

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Mihai GHIMPU
Head of Government: Prime Minister Vlad FILAT
Assembly: Moldova has a unicameral Parliament (Parlament) with 101 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is indirectly elected by parliament to serve a 4-year term.*
The Prime Minister is designated by the President upon consultation with Parliament.
In the Parliament (Parlament) 101 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

* The electoral system is two-round. 61 votes are needed (the votes of three-fifths of elected legislators). If more than two candidates run and none achieves this threshold, there is a runoff between the top two candidates within 10 days. If two or fewer candidates run and none achieves this threshold, there is a repeat election within 30 days. If no President is elected after a repeat election, the acting President dissolves Parliament, and there are new legislative elections. Parliament may be dissolved once per year.

*** There is a three percent threshold for independent candidates, five percent threshold for parties. An election is valid only if one-third of registered voters turn out.