Poll shows 41 percent remain undecided ahead of 2009 legislative elections

If parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, 41 percent of the respondents of the sociological study “Vox Populi – 2008” wouldn't know which party to support, as 8 percent of the respondents said they are determined not to go to the polling stations at all, Info-Prim Neo reports. Presented on September 22 by the Association of Moldovan Demographers and Sociologists, the poll indicates a rather low interest in the upcoming elections – just slightly above a half of the respondents (53 percent) are determined to participate. Of the respondents who expressed a choice for one of the parties likely to candidate, the majority (20 percent) said they would vote for the Moldovan Communists Party (PCRM). Much below comes the Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) Party with 8.5 percent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) with 7.1 percent, the Liberal Party (PL) with 4.3 percent, the Democratic Party (PDM) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 3.7 and 3.2 percent, respectively. The other political formations collected less than 3 percent. According to Victor Mocanu, the president of the Association of Moldovan Demographers and Sociologists, a fact that obstructs many undecided voters from making a choice is the similitudes between the names of several political parties. So, 37 percent of the respondents think that the parties from opposition and with similar platforms would significantly increase their chances if they forged a single bloc; 18 percent think that their chances would neither increase nor decrease; 3 percent say their chances would diminish; and 43 percent didn't know what to say on this subject. President Vladimir Voronin still leads the popularity charts among politicians (27.6 percent), followed by Speaker Marian Lupu (11.4 percent), Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca of Chisinau, who is also PL vice president (11.0 percent), Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi (10.1 percent), Lib Dem leader Vlad Filat (9.8 percent), AMN president Serafim Urecheanu (7.8 percent), and ex-Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev (6.8 percent). The study revealed again low confidence rates in various social and political institutions. 80 percent of the respondents trust the Church more or less. The local mayor's office ranks second with 55 percent. The army is trusted by 49 percent of the respondents and 48 percent of the respondents have confidence in the media. Banks are trusted by 40 percent. The confidence rates in the police, Parliament, the Cabinet and the judiciary range from 30 to 26 percent. In case the Moldovan voters were to express their will by ballot on whether Moldova must join the European Union or not, the majority (63 percent) would say yes and a mere 12 percent would say no. 40 percent of the respondents said Moldova should stay away from NATO, while 21 percent said Moldova should obtain its membership. According to the poll, Moldova has the closest relationship with Russia (59 percent), Ukraine (58 percent), Romania (49 percent), the European Union (49 percent), and the U.S. (44 percent). The study was conducted in September 2008 by the Association of Moldovan Demographers and Sociologists on a sample of 1,586 persons, with a margin of error of 2.6 percent.