Voronin, Lupu main contenders in possible presidential elections

If presidential elections were held next Sunday, the leader of the Democratic Party (PDM) Marian Lupu would poll 21% of the vote, the president of the Communists Party (PCRM) Vladimir Voronin 17%, while the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) Vlad Filat 14%, according to a poll conducted by the Marketing and Polling Institute IMAS-INC Chisinau, which was made public on May 10, Info-Prim Neo reports. Only 2% of the respondents would vote for acting President Mihai Ghimpu, the leader of the Liberal Party (PL). Mayor General of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca would garner the same percentage, while former Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi - 3% of the vote. The poll shows that if legislative elections took place next Sunday, only three parties would enter the future Parliament. These are: the PCRM, with 28% of the vote, the PLDM, with 16.5%, and the PDM, with 8.6%, at a time when the election threshold is 6%. The poll indicates the electoral threshold would be insurmountable to acting president Mihai Ghimpu's Liberal Party, with 4.9%, and to another member of the ruling coalition – the Alliance Moldova Noastra (AMN) party, with 2.1%. A similar fate would be shared the Social Democratic Party (2.5%), the Christian-Democratic People's Party (1%), the European Action Movement party (0.5%) and the United Moldova Party (0.4%). Acting president Mihai Ghimpu said on Monday he doubted the accuracy of opinion polls. “I have a goal and to me the most important thing is to achieve that goal, which I have pursued in my life together with my colleagues. I know the polls are always manipulated, which is why the best poll is always the vote cast by the citizen on election day”, said Mihai Ghimpu. The poll was conducted during April 15 – May 3 on a nationally representative sample of 1,054 respondents. The stated margin of error is ±3%.