Sandu leads in rating of potential candidates in Moldovan presidential election of Oct 20 - poll

CHISINAU. July 30 (Interfax) - Incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu is leading in the rating of potential candidates in the presidential election due to take place on October 20, according to an opinion poll the results of which were presented at a press conference on Tuesday.

In a hypothetical presidential election next Sunday, 30.3% of respondents would vote for Sandu, 13% for Party of Socialists leader Igor Dodon (who already said he would not stand in the election), 6.5% for Our Party leader Renato Usatii, 5.6% for former Gagauzia head Irina Vlah, and 5.4% for Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban. The latter will not be running for president either.

Almost a fifth of respondents are undecided. Among the respondents who have made up their mind, 39.3% are ready to vote for Sandu, 16.9% for Dodon, and 8.5% of Usatii.

Former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, whom the Party of Socialists plans to nominate as the opposition candidate, gained 1% in the poll.

As for the confidence rating, 21.3% of respondents named Sandu in response to an open question about confidence in politicians, 7.2% named Dodon, and 4.6% named runaway oligarch Ilan Shor, followed by Usatii (3.3%) and Ceban (3.2%).

Some 38.2% of respondents said they trusted no one.

CBS Research polled 1,119 respondents on June 28 - July 18 at the request of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms.