The article forms part of IPN’s series to present candidates for mayor of the municipality of Balti at the general local elections of November 5, 2023.

The Party “Coalition for Unity and Wellbeing” put forward Sergiu Popovich as a candidate for mayor of Balti municipality at the local election of November 5.

Sergiu Popovich was born on September 23, 1957 in Cuhureștii de Sus village of Florești district. He graduated from the professional polyvalent school (auto mechanic, category 4), the Balti Polytechnic College (technician-electrician) and has a Bachelor of Economics degree from the Nistrean Institute of Economy and Law of Balti.

In 1974-1976, he worked as a telecommunications electrician at the Artificial Leather Combine in Chisinau. In 1976-1978., he did his military service in the Soviet Army. Since 1978 until 1983, he worked as a telecommunications electrician at the Oil Combine in Balti. In 1983-1988, he worked as a chief mechanic at the Soviet Army’s Contingent in the former German Democratic Republic, in Magdeburg. In 1988-1993, he served as an electrician in equipment repair at the Service Provision Combine in the Ukrainian town Borshchiv. In 1993-1998, he served as director of the individual enterprise “Avantaj” in Balti. In 1998-2010, he headed the military hotel of the Center for Training Specialists for the National Army. He managed the state-run enterprise “Meridian” in Balti in 2010-2013. Sergiu Popovich also served as coordinator in Balti of the Democratic Party for two years. In 2016-2022, he worked as a manager for northern Moldova, Balti and seven districts, at Bancă de Economii that is under liquidation.

Since 2006 until 2011, he sat as a municipal councilor in Balti.

For January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022, the candidate declared 66,000 lei incomes from the National House and Social Insurance and his wife’s incomes of 70,000 lei. He owns 1/3 of a house.

Together with his team, the candidate aims to transfer the municipal enterprises known as “black holes” under self-management by gradually involving private companies in these areas of activity in a direct way. Sergiu Popovich pleads for clear rules of the game and obligations as regards the financial relations between the state budget and the municipal budget. According to him, the state budget funding should not depend on political motives.

Sergiu Popovich also aims to demonopolize the municipal enterprises, the Balti Amenities and Housing Company in stages and in a transparent, but irreversible way. The candidate said citizens must have the right to choose and must know where their money goes, while the “Open Zone” should become a zone of free competition with equal rules of the game set down by the mayor’s office, where emphasis will be placed on the provision of high-quality services.

Among the candidate’s priorities are to attract grants to thermally insulate houses, schools and kindergartens, to ensure strict control over the implementation of the regime of saving heat and other energy resources, to build modern overground passages on Ștefan cel Mare St, near the central market, given the rise in the number of vehicles in the city, congestion and the high level of vehicle exhaust emissions.

Sergiu Popovich plans to establish close cooperation relations between the mayor’s office and big, small and medium-sized enterprises, to identify a balanced tax collection method, to found new enterprises, to create new jobs, to spend the townspeople’s money in a reasonable way.

As it was decided by draw, Sergiu Popovich will be next to No. 11 on the ballot.