If direct presidential elections were held next Sunday, 31.8% of the electors would vote for Igor Dodon, 18.7% for Maia Sandu, 9.3% for Andrei Năstase, 6.6% for Renato Usatyi, whereas 4.7% for Violeta Ivanov. Some 1.7% would vote for Octavian Țâcu, 1.4% for Tudor Deliu, while 1.3% for Dorin Chirtoacă, shows the most recent Vox Populi poll presented by the Association of Sociologists and Demographers. 16% of those interviewed could not make a choice, while 8% said they would not go to vote, IPN reports.
The respondents were asked to argue their options in a free form. 29% of those polled said they vote for a particular candidate because they appreciate this candidate’s qualities, such as communicability, competence, critical attitude, power of persuasion, responsibility, managerial skills, patriotism, intelligence. 21% choose the candidate with a powerful team. 19% vote for the candidate who fights corruption or is incorruptible (fights for justice, is honest, decent, courageous, sincere, correct, decided, defends human rights, works for people’s benefit). 17% of the voters said they make their choice depending on the European course or the Eurasian development course supported by the candidate; 11% because they support the party that fielded the candidate, while 2% formulated other options.
If Maia Sandu and Igor Dodon compete in the presidential runoffs, 38.3% would vote for Maia Sandu, 45.9% for Igor Dodon, while 15.9% said they would not cast their ballot or didn’t want to answer this question.
The poll also shows that most of the respondents (52%) consider the current campaign prior to the presidential elections takes place without violations. About one fourth invoked particular violations, while 11% believe it is held with many violations. 12% of the respondents could not pronounce on the subject. Only one fourth of those questioned consider the elections in Moldova are free and fair, 23% do not agree with this, while 46% consider them partially free and fair. 5% could not pronounce.
The field research as part of the opinion poll were carried out during September 26 – October 8 on a sample of 1,167 adult respondents from 81 localities of Moldova, except for the Transnistrian region.
