Eight registered candidates and another eight applicants who submitted the signatures to the Central Election Commission and wait for these to be validated aspire to the office of President of Moldova. Today, September 29, was the last day when the lists with signatures collected from supporters for being registered as an election runner could be presented to the CEC, IPN reports.

The eight registered candidates are: Marian Lupu (PDM), Mihai Ghimpu (PL), Iurie Leanca (PPEM), Andrei Nastase (PPPDA), Inna Popenko (Ravnopravie), Dumitru Chubashenko (PPPN), Maia Sandu (PAS), and Igor Dodon (PSRM).

Ana Gutu (the Right) and independents Valeriu Giletski, Roman Mihaes, Maia Laguta, Ion Dron, Vasile Tarlev, Vitalia Pavlichenko, and Silvia Radu presented the signatures on the last day and wait for the CEC’s decision on their registration as electoral competitors, which can be taken within seven days.

A number of 24 initiative groups for collecting signatures have been registered overall. Thus, the other eight applicants didn’t manage to collect the minimum 15,000 signatures required or gave up running in elections for other reasons.