The jurists of the Party of Socialist (PSRM) on July 1 filed a challenge to the Centru Court of Chisinau, disputing the results of the second round of mayoral elections in Chisinau municipality. According to the jurists, the challenge is based on multiple violations identified by the party’s observers and on the reports of members of electoral offices as well as on challenges filed by national observers, IPN reports.

“Today the Party of Socialists expressed its disagreement with the general procedure of holding the elections and asked annulling the results of the runoff in Chisinau municipality. Thus, we demand rerunning the elections in accordance with the law,” said jurist Maxim Lebidinschi.

He mentioned among the identified irregularities the disappearance of ballots from polling places, hampering of observers’ access to the voter rolls and additional lists and the irregularities committed by election runners during the campaign.

According to Socialist MP Vlad Batrancea, a series violation was the corrupting of the members of electoral offices and voters. The access to monitoring the electoral process is another violation.

According to the preliminary results presented by the Central Election Commission, the Liberal Party’s candidate Dorin Chirtoaca won the elections with 53.44% of the ballot at a time when his opponent Zinaida Grecheanyi, of the PSRM, gained 46.56% of the poll. The difference in the number of votes won by the two is about 21,000.