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 of Action and Solidarity fielded Vladimir Rusu for mayor of the municipality of Balti at the local election of November 5. Since 2021 until present, the candidate has headed the Balti Local Office of the State Chancellery, serving as the Government’s representative at the local level.

The candidate was born on April 10, 1983 and lives in the municipality of Balti. In 2005, he graduated from the Balti State University “Alecu Russo”, the Faculty of Law. During a year, he studied at post-university master’s courses, the Public Law specialty, at the Balti University’s Faculty of Law. In 2005-2009, he studied for his doctorate at the former Institute of History, State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the Public Law Specialty, with the specification – administrative law. Since 2013 until 2014, he studied at the Faculty of Continuous Formation for teachers and persons holding executive posts at the State Teacher Training University “Ion Creangă”.

Since 2005 until present, he has taught at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Balti State University “Alecu Russo”. In October 2007 – February 2009, he served as legal consultant within the Program of Legal Assistance and Information for Victims of Corruption. During three years, he represented the interests of persons of the University Legal Clinic. In 2011-2013, he worked as a scientific researcher within an institutional project. Since April until May 2011, he served as deputy chairman of the Balti District Electoral Council at the local elections of June 5, 2011. In 2018-2020, he held the post of pro-dean of the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences.

Since Decembers 2021, he has been a member of the PAS. In April 2022, he was named deputy head of the Permanent Bureau of the PAS.

For the period between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, the candidate declared over 241,000 incomes, a part of which represent his salaries from the Balti State University “Alecu Russo”. His wife earned over 113,000 lei and 9,766 lei scholarships from the Balti State University “Alecu Russo”. The candidate owns ½ of two lots within the built-up areas. They were both purchased in 2020 for over 56,000 lei each. Vladimir Rusu also owns 1/2 of two houses, each to the value of 415,207 lei, and two cars worth €6,300 and €2,000.

According to Vladimir Rusu, his team’s priority is to invest in major infrastructure projects that haven’t been implemented since the times of the Soviet Union. He aims to repair central and secondary roads and to lay out yards of apartment buildings, to build the road that will connect Dacia quarter with the center of the city and to extensively repair Kiev St.

The candidate intends to correctly set up parking places in public spaces and in residential areas, to launch a business incubator in the city and to invest in schools, preschools and medical centers. He plans to take radical and urgent measures to save municipal enterprises from bankruptcy, protecting this way the jobs of the inhabitants of Chisinau.

As it was decided by draw, Vladimir Rusu will head the list of candidates on the ballot.