IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Moldova

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Moldova
Official Name: Republic Of Moldova
Election Type: Referendum
Date: September 5, 2010

Source for election date

At stake in this Referendum:

Whether to approve a new constitution introducing, among other things, direct presidential elections.

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: Acting 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.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

Whether to approve a new constitution introducing, among other things, direct presidential elections.

Electoral Requirements

According to Article 168. of the Moldovan Constitution, a republican referendum proposal shall be considered adopted if it gains the majority of voters who participated in the referendum. However, in referendums that deal with a revision to a constitutional law, as this one does, the measure must obtain support from at least half of all registered voters. However, recent amendments to the Electoral Code alter this. The referendum will only be considered valid if at least one third of eligible voters cast their ballots, and the constitution will be amended if at least half of those voting approve it.