The Party of Socialists will hold one more seat in Parliament. The party’s candidate Ștefan Gațcan won the new parliamentary elections in constituency No. 38 Hâncești after gaining the largest number of votes, IPN reports.

With 100% of the election protocols counted, Ștefan Gațcan is shown to be the winner with 5,539 votes. He is followed by the Action and Solidarity Party’s candidate Olesea Stamate with 4,554 votes.

The Democratic Party’s candidate Ion Mereuță gained 1,810 votes, independent Grigore Cobzac – 1,792, while the UNION Electoral Bloc’s candidate Dorin Chirtoacă - 346 votes.

The voter turnout was 23.33% or 14,401 electors. The candidate who polls the largest number of votes is declared the winner, regardless of the voter turnout.

Ștefan Gaţcan is an obstetrician-gynecologist by profession and is a university professor, doctor of medical sciences and echography. He managed the Mother and Child Institute since 2012 until the start of 2016. Currently, he is the director general of the Extramed Medical Center that he founded in 1999. He also teaches at the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemiţanu”.

The Central Election Commission set new parliamentary elections in Hâncești for March 15 after Democratic MP Alexandru Botnari renounced the seat of MP won in this constituency in favor of the post of mayor of Hâncești municipality that he secured in the November 3 mayoral runoffs.