Second round of voting in Chisinau is inevitable, Vox Populi

If local elections were held in Chisinau next Sunday, Dorin Chirtoaca would poll 38.6% of the vote. Igor Dodon would win 36.5% of the poll so that a second round of voting would take place. At the same time, the number of Igor Dodon's sympathizers is higher compared with the previous periods, says the Vox Populi survey presented by the Association of Sociologists and Demographers of Moldova on May 27, Info-Prim Neo reports. 20.4% of those questioned consider that Dorin Chirtoaca is the most influential person in the municipality of Chisinau. Chirtoaca is followed by Vlad Filat with 19.1% and Igor Dodon with 14.7%. Each ninth respondent could not name the most influential person. Asked what person they trust most, 52% of those polled said Dorin Chirtoaca, 47% – Igor Dodon, 25% – Valentina Buliga, while 17% – Mihai Godea. 34% of the respondents said they would vote for the PCRM in the elections for the Chisinau Municipal Council, 22% for the PL, 20.4% for the PLDM, 8.4% for the PDM, while 13.2% have not yet decided. The poll shows the PCRM is now supported by a different category of voters – persons aged between 18 and 35 with higher education. Victor Mocanu, chairman of the Association of Sociologists and Demographers of Moldova, said that Igor Dodon attracts more supporters than earlier. 52% of those surveyed said they will definitely go to the polls, 22.6% said they will probably go, 7.9% said they will probably not go, while 8.2% said they definitely not go to vote. Asked what steps the new mayor should take first, 33% of the respondents said he/she should focus on road repair, 12% - on increasing salaries, 10% - on the issue of prices and charges, 9% - on creating workplaces, while 4% - on fighting corruption. 82% of those questioned consider a mayor should know the troubles and concerns of the people, 7.8% believe the mayor should be independent, while 7% said the mayor should have influence in the political circles. The survey was carried out during May 15-22 and covered a sample of 1,000 persons. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3%. The local elections will take place on June 5.