At the end of last week, there were published all the lists of competitors in the Chisinau mayor’s and councillor’s race. For the first time in the current campaign, the voter from the capital city obtained the whole picture of electoral offers, the comparative analysis of which will allow him to make his choice for the June 3 polls. We refer to the “average” Chisinau resident, who is to a certain extent concerned about politics and fairly informed in this regard, but has no time and possibilities to make supplementary verifications. Info-Prim Neo News Agency will try to look at the lists of electoral competitors through the eyes of such a category of voters, who, apparently, form the largest part of the electorate in Chisinau. [The 2007 Election Campaign: first distinct aspects] As a rule, the reading of electoral lists has at least two stages: first, we read them all, taking notice of certain distinct aspects, and then we backtrack to verify the first impressions. Ideally, there should also be an extensive and final review that would enable to make a decision, but it doesn’t always happen like this. We will herein bring out observations and conclusions following the “first reading” of the lists of candidates for municipal councillors. [In terms of quantity], the lists of councillors include 901 persons, which represents a proportion of 18 candidates racing for each of those 51 seats in the Municipal Council. The figures by themselves don’t tell us whether it is good or bad, few or a lot. A comparison with the 2003 elections would be irrelevant, because we are currently surrounded by different socio-political and economic circumstances. At the moment, it appears that this is a natural proportion which denotes the general attitude of the political class towards the upcoming elections in Chisinau. That is also due to the similar proportion of candidates who entered the mayor’s race - 19 for an office. Moreover, the lists of councillors are 19 in number, too. In fact, they are fielded by 18 parties and electoral blocs and another one is formed of 13 unaffiliated candidates. It may happen that the independent candidates would disagree to be regarded in the context of any list whatsoever; however this is how each of them will be compared with other candidates, as well as with lists formed on party criteria. 3 of those 18 “party” lists contain only a half of the maximum number of candidates. The Conservative Party has just 27 candidates, the European Party – 26, and the Patria-Rodina Labour Union Party – 26. The majority of lists contain from 51 to 56 candidates. Let us suppose that, for now, the average voter hasn’t clearly understood the message of the parties whose lists were halved: is it because they didn’t find a sufficient number of qualified persons to fill the lists, which speaks about a limited human potential of the respective party, or is it because the given parties see things in a pragmatic manner and have sufficient understanding of how many seats they will win? The voter will not let himself very much influenced by the full lists either, because he will examine each name, will bring into mind everything he knows about it and study the quality of each lists as a whole. “Quantity doesn’t always mean quality” – the average voter tells himself. [Battle of resources] [In terms of quality], the electoral lists of councillors contain a larger number of key figures than before. It is not only about party leaders, former and incumbent members of parliament and high-ranking officials heading the lists. This also confirms the well-known theory that all the parties of all colours place high stakes on the control over the capital city. What’s new is that many lists are based on top-managers of companies: directors and directors-general or executive, chairmen of boards and senior executives. It may happen that the common resident of Chisinau will arrive after “the first reading” at the conclusion that the ongoing campaign is a battle of financial and human resources from outside the staff, rather than an engagement of political programmes and beliefs. He may also reach the conclusion that he is more manipulated than before, because he understands that the undeclared resources, including those spent for costly campaigns, could be the very funds that he was deprived of. At the conclusion that the Mayor and the Municipal Council have changed places in terms of weight he might arrive later… There is one category of lists more – those usually formed of persons who are labelled “people of good will”: politicians, teachers, doctors, engineers, journalists, etc. The voter will almost for certain notice that the new lists include very few councillors of the present CMC. But you never know how much it will take the voter to understand that, by making these changes, the political parties by themselves have termed their performance in managing the capital city unsatisfactory… As in the previous election campaigns, there are “on duty” politicians who reappear in the lists of a number of parties and who, eventually, disappear until the next elections. It is in plain sight that young candidates are, as a rule, placed at the bottom of the lists, although parties “court” young people, seek and announce all kinds of renewals. In fact, upon a more comprehensive assessment of electoral lists, we may find out, with a certain degree of approximation, how each party and electoral bloc sees its chances. This issue will be the topic of the second part of the analysis by which Info-Prim Neo will start “the second reading” of the electoral lists, in the average Chisinau resident’s companionship.