Doctor Stanislav Groppa runs for head of state

Neurosurgeon Stanislav Groppa is the second candidate for president of Moldova alongside former Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii. Sergiu Vladica, the acting head of the Parliament’s press service, has told Info-Prim Neo that Groppa’s documents were submitted to the special presidential election commission on May 14 at about 23.00, one hour before the deadline. Stanislav Groppa was put forward by 15 MPs from the parliamentary group of the Communist Party. Stanislav Groppa is a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, doctor habilitate in medical sciences and lecturer at the State University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics “N. Testemitanu”. He is the director of the Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinics, the head of the neurobiology and medical genetics lab, consultant at the medical genetics laboratory. He is a member of the International Stroke Society of the European Epilepsy Academy. On May 15, Stanislav Groppa turns 53. Under the legislation, any person older than 40 with the right to vote that lived or has lived in Moldova for at least 10 years, holds Moldovan nationality and knows the official language can run for president. The candidates must be approved by at least 15 MPs. The head of state will be elected on May 20. He is elected by the vote of three fifth of the elected MPs, i.e. 61 of the 101 MPs that form the legislature. The president is elected by secret vote. If no candidate obtains the necessary number of votes, there is held the second round of voting for the two candidates that won most of the votes in the first round, within three days. If the president is not elected during the second round, there are held rerun elections, within 15 days of the last ordinary elections. If the president is not elected after rerun elections, the outgoing president dissolves the Parliament and fixes the date of new elections. The Opposition has repeatedly announced it will not put up candidates and will not participate in the election of the head of state. The parliamentary group of the PCRM is composed of 60 MPs and needs one more vote to elect the president.