At stake in this Referendum:

• Whether to approve a new constitution introducing direct presidential elections.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Acting President Mihai GHIMPU
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Vlad FILAT
• Assembly: Moldova has a unicameral Parliament (Parlament) with 101 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is indirectly elected by parliament to serve a 4-year term.*
• The Prime Minister is designated by the President upon consultation with Parliament.
• In the Parliament (Parlament) 101 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

* The electoral system is two-round. 61 votes are needed (the votes of three-fifths of elected legislators). If more than two candidates run and none achieves this threshold, there is a runoff between the top two candidates within 10 days. If two or fewer candidates run and none achieves this threshold, there is a repeat election within 30 days. If no President is elected after a repeat election, the acting President dissolves Parliament, and there are new legislative elections. Parliament may be dissolved once per year.

*** There is a three percent threshold for independent candidates, five percent threshold for parties. An election is valid only if one-third of registered voters turn out.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Whether to approve a new constitution introducing direct presidential elections.
• "Would you agree with the Constitutional amendment, which would allow the election of the President of the Republic of Moldova by the entire population?"
• Sînteţi pentru modificarea Pentru Contra Constituţiei care să permită alegerea Preşedintelui Republicii Moldova de către întreg poporul?

Electoral Requirements

• According to Article 168. of the Moldovan Constitution, a republican referendum proposal shall be considered adopted if it gains the majority of voters who participated in the referendum. However, in referendums that deal with a revision to a constitutional law, as this one does, the measure must obtain support from at least half of all registered voters. However, recent amendments to the Electoral Code alter this. The referendum will only be considered valid if at least one third of eligible voters cast their ballots, and the constitution will be amended if at least half of those voting approve it.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 3,562,045 (2010)
• Registered Voters: 2,662,052 (September 2010)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 1,849,497 (2010)

·         Is Moldova a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Moldova ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (1 July 1994)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes 

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 24 (following the 2009 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 107 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Moldova a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Moldova ratified CRPD: Yes (21 September 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 544,992 (est.)