If direct presidential elections were held next Sunday, the candidates that would poll the most votes would be Democrat leader Marian Lupu (33%), ex-president Vladimir Voronin (16%) and prime minister Vlad Filat (15%); ex-premier Zinaida Greceanyi and Chisinau mayor Dorin Chirtoaca would gather fewer votes, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Association of Moldovan Sociologists and Demographers (ASDM) and published today, Info-Prim Neo reports. The poll was conducted during 2-10 January 2010 on a sample of 1,592 respondents from 79 locations, excluding the Transnistrian region, with a margin of 2.6%. “The direct vote to elect the president of the country would motivate the Moldovans to turn out at the polling booths in 2010. However in the case of another round of parliamentary elections, the voters are not sure they would want to take part”, said Dr. Victor Juc, from the ASDM. If parliamentary elections were conducted next Sunday, the Communist Party would remain the leader with 25.3% , followed by the Liberal Democratic Party – 19,7%, the Democratic Party – 15,6%, the Liberal Party – 9,3% and the Our Moldova Alliance – 4,5%. Other parties would poll less than 3%. “Noteworthy is that in the case of this snap election, a significant part of respondents, 18%, were not able to choose a party, and other 4% didn't give a straight answer. So one in five interviewed persons would not be able to make a conscious choice”, said Victor Mocanu, the president of ASDM. The poll also shows that in the event of a referendum to amend the Constitution, 61% of respondents would opt for direct presidential elections, 17% would be against the proposed amendments, and 6% said they wouldn't turn out. “However, it is important that more than 60% of the voters would participate”, underlined Victor Jucov. According to the same poll, political parties remain the least trusted institution, with 29%, and the Church the most trusted, with 80%. The most prominent political event in 2009, the poll shows, was the signing of the Small-scale Border Traffic Convention with Romania. Other events include the two rounds of elections in 2009, Vlad Filat's appointment as prime minister, the boycott of the presidential vote in Parliament, and the formation of the Alliance for European Integration.