Poll names Moldovan Socialists' leader most popular presidential candidate
CHISINAU. Oct 5 (Interfax) - Igor Dodon, the leader of Moldova's opposition Party of Socialists, tops the list of potential presidential candidates in popularity terms, according to a poll conducted by the Intellect Group company.
Dodon would gain 30.8% of the vote in hypothetical elections next Sunday, Intellect Group head Ian Lisnevschi said, adding that DA party candidate Andrei Nastase could count on 12.2% of the vote, Democratic Party leader Marian Lupu on 11.8%, Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) leader Maia Sandu on 11.3%, the European People's Party leader Iurie Leanca on 6.9%, Our Party candidate Dumitru Ciubasenco on 4.6%, and Liberal Party leader Mihai Ghimpu on 2.6%. According to the poll, the other candidates would gain less than 1% of the vote.
Seventy-two percent of respondents said they wanted a male president, 17% would favor a woman, and the rest said they did not care.
Only 56% of respondents intend to participate in the ballot, while 36% are likely to do so, and 6% are positive they will not vote.
In the event of hypothetical parliamentary elections next Sunday, the Party of Socialists would be the winner, the sociologists said, adding that the Party of Socialists could count on 25.6% of the vote, PAS on 12.5%, the Democratic Party on 12%, the DA party on 11%, Our Party on 8.4%, the Communist Party on 6%, the European People's Party on 3.5%, the Liberal Party on 3.4%, the Liberal Democratic Party on 1.2%, the National Liberal Party on 1%, and the rest of parties on less than 1%.
The sociologists polled 2,100 respondents on September 19-28.
Moldova will have presidential elections on October 30, 2016, and parliamentary elections in late 2018.