The Central Electoral Commission today formally stripped Socialists Ion Ceban, Gaik Vartanean and Petru Burduja of their mandates of Chisinau city councilmen, and fellow party member Alexandr Usatîi of his seat in the Balti city council, after they won MP seats instead in the February elections.

In Chisinau, one seat went to the alternate member Iurie Cernomoreț, with two declared vacant. In Balti, the vacated seat will go to alternate member Lilia Guțu.

The office of Member of Parliament is incompatible with that of a local council member, and the law gives winning candidates 30 days to choose. The mandates of the MPs elected on February 24 were validated on March 9.