​NEW MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT WILL CONSIST OF 5 FACTIONS – IMAS POLL

The forthcoming November 30 parliamentary elections will be happy for only 5 political parties, as per the findings of the opinion poll carried out by the Institute of Marketing and Surveys (IMAS).

The research was undertaken on November 8 through 19 among 1,128 Moldova citizens eligible to vote, who reside in 81 various-type localities across the republic. The pollsters are saying that error should not exceed ±3%.

Presenting the poll results to the press, IMAS Director Doru Petruti said that had an election been held on the nearest Sunday after the interviewing, the Communist Party (MCP) would win 19.6% votes, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPM) – 17.2%, the Democratic Party – 14.2%, the Patria Party – 8.7%, the Liberal Party (LP) – 8.5%.

The Party of Socialists is also close to overcoming the 6% electoral barrier to parliament. However, this opinion poll showed that at the moment the socialists are favored by only 5.3% citizens.

“We have established that the general trends, which existed during our previous poll held two weeks before, have on the whole remained the same. But against our poll held in September, the number of respondents going to vote for the Communists has shrunk by 3.8%. With the LDPM and Patria Party, the figures fell by 1.4% and 0.9%, respectively. At the same time, the number of people ready to vote for the Democrats has grown by 3.5%, for the Liberals – by 2.2%, and for the Socialists – by 2.5%. But these results reflect the preference of only those citizens who have made up their mind concerning whom they will vote for. Such people constituted 66% of the respondents”, said Doru Petruti.

In his words, the largest loss of electorate is being suffered by the Communist Party.

“If you remember, during a political crisis 1.5 years ago, almost 40% voters were ready to cast their ballots for the Communists, and presently only 19 percent. The lost votes went to the Patria Party, Party of Socialists and some other”, said the IMAS director.

Yet another 8% citizens said they will finally decide whom to vote for only on the election day.

As for voters’ political orientation, 29% said they believe they are Right-wing, 23% said they are centrists, 19% – Left-wing, and 22% were uncertain or preferred to give no answer.

According to the IMAS research, 44% interviewed citizens stand rather for Moldova’s approximation with the European Union, and 43% – rather with Russia.

Had a referendum been held next Sunday on Moldova’s accession to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, 51% participants would vote for the accession, and 36% – against it. But if such referendum been held on accession to the European Union, 47% would vote for joining the EU and 35% would vote against.

Doru Petruti stressed that since the conflict had broken up in eastern Ukraine, the number of supporters of Moldova's joining NATO has grown – up to 27% now against less than 20% a year and a half ago. But 50% Moldovans are against joining NATO.

At the same time, 50% respondents are concerned about Russia’s possible invasion into Moldova, another 21% are concerned only “to a certain extent”, and only 24% are sure that there exists no such problem, said Doru Petruti.