The last four lists of candidates that “the average Chisinau resident” will examine today represent political parties with distinctive features, but also with common traits: they are placed at the bottom of the ballot paper and neither of them has been represented in the Chisinau Municipal Council before. As a matter of fact, they haven’t made it to the Parliament either, except for a single case of a competitor who had entered the legislature on behalf of another political party. [PUMPP: A party of “labourers”] The list of the Labour Union Party “Patria – Родина” (PUMPP) includes 26 candidates, all of them party members, all Chisinau residents, with occupations that the candidate no.1 likes to refer to as “labour” in his speeches. The last enlisted candidate has even put the profession of “labourer” in front of his name. On the other hand, the first two names in the list are accompanied by the professions “chairman” and “manager”. 4 candidates hold key offices in the housing sector, with some of them working in the same area, which points to the fact that the party has access to significant human resources. Several candidates are sufficiently known through their work in consumer rights NGOs, which can bring them the support of a specific category of electors. Only 3 candidates can be called young, that is under 37 years old. “The average Chisinau resident” has the impression that the list and the offer of PUMPP has filled in the gap on the political spectrum left by PCRM when it became the ruling party. [PE AV: a party of intellectuals] The “The Green Alliance” Environmental Party of Moldova (PEM AV), on the contrary, leaves the impression of a party of intellectuals. 14 out of 51 candidates have degrees of doctor of sciences or habilitated doctor. Others are university lecturers and professors, artists, journalists, NGO members, etc. 6 candidates represent Chisinau’s suburbs, although 3 of them represent the same suburban town of Durlesti. 11 persons of the top-30 candidates are aged under 37. “The average voter” recalls that at the beginning of the election campaign PEM AV was one of the few political parties to call for an electoral alliance of parties with similar orientations. Nevertheless, the merger failed, and the voter could appreciate the intention, but at the same time he could blame the party for not managing to bring the idea to life. [Is UCM back in action?] The Centrist Union of Moldova (UCM) has announced its comeback on the political landscape of the country and city. It seems that after the elections it will disappear again until new elections are held, as it has done over the past few years. At least this is what “the average voter” thinks about this party. Maybe this time UCM has more serious intentions, as the list includes almost the entire cream of the party: its president, the first deputy-chairman and the deputy-chairman of the UCM National Council, as well as 4 vice-chairmen of the UCM Chisinau territorial organisation. On the whole, the list looks rather diverse and representative for the categories of professions and occupations of the population in the capital. However, there is a certain asymmetry in terms of age: only 4 candidates of the top-30 are under 37 years old, but they are not even the first ones. Another disproportion is referring to the candidates’ domicile: all those 4 who represent the suburbs are from the same town of Durlesti. The first 2 candidates in UCM’s list are well-known figures, but they are not even party members. [PLD: another ‘green’ and courageous party?] The list of the Party of Law and Justice (PLD) borrows some strong points from other political parties running for municipal councillors. It makes itself noticed through the abundance of environmentalists and persons employed in the State Service. “The average Chisinau resident” remembers that he was mentioning in reference to another political party that it takes a lot of courage to enter the lists of a party outside the government, given that the ruling party is watching very closely and with a sort of jealousy the make-up of the lists of its rivals. At least this is what the opposition parties have been always declaring. Out of 51 candidates, 21 hold rather important offices in governmental structures, most of them working at the State Ecology Agency and the State Ecology Inspectorate. The leader of the party himself is the head of one of the aforementioned bodies. “Why is the party called of Law and Justice?” the voter asks himself. Among those 21 there are no persons with ordinary professions like doctors, teachers, engineers, etc. Instead, there are several functionaries from the ministries of Health and Informational Development, if this is what the acronyms MH and MID stand for. PLD is a young party: half of the top-30 candidates are under 37 years old. PLD is fairly represented in suburbs: 12 candidates are from the villages, communes and towns of the municipality of Chisinau. Candidate no.1 is running for Mayor General and is the head of the municipal subdivision of the agency headed by the party leader, although he claims he is not a party member. Other names included in PLD’s list are mostly unfamiliar to “the average Chisinau resident”. At present, “the Chisinau resident” realises he saw too much lists of candidates in his attempt to make a conscious choice, and as strange as it may seem, he hasn’t decided whom to vote for yet. [However, he hopes that could make a decision on the last day after he reviews the results of his thinking, which can be accessed in the archives of www.info-prim.md, May 21-24, 26 and 28, by using the following links: http://www.info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2007/05/21&ay=8273 http://www.info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2007/05/22&ay=8302 http://www.info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2007/05/23&ay=8321 http://www.info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2007/05/24&ay=8346 http://www.info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2007/05/26&ay=8382 and http://www.info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2007/05/28&ay=8394]