Chamber:
	Parlamentul
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	22 March 1998
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	Following the previous (February 1994) general elections, Mr. Petru Lucinschi was elected President of the Republic as an independent in December 1996. A centrist, he favoured free-market economic reforms and urged his fellow citizens to reject « extremist » policies. The President, however, was confronted by a strong, largely left-wing legislature; in the meantime, the reforms stalled, leading to increased economic problems and poverty. In the 1998 elections, 15 parties and 1407 candidates vied for the 101 parliamentary seats, reduced from 104 to cut costs, increase representativity and avoid tied votes. The main contenders included the Moldovan Communist Party (PCM), which had been banned at independence in 1991 but revived in 1994; the nationalistic, right-wing Democratic Convention (CDM), led by former President Mircea Snegur; the pro-government Movement for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova (PMDP), a centrist alliance headed by Mr. Dumitru Diacov; and the center-right Party of Democratic Forces (PFD). During the campaign, the Communists, led by Mr. Vladimir Voronin, pledged a return to a centralized, state-controlled economy and « the rebirth of a socialist society» ; they also favoured close political and military ties with the Russian Federation. The CDM, on the other hand, backed faster market reforms and a Western-oriented foreign policy. President Lucinschi, for his part, urged voters to promote stability by supporting moderate forces, a view echoed by Prime Minister Ion Ciubuc. Such forces were represented by the PMDP, which appealed to middle-of-the-road voters with promises of more welfare programs and stronger links with both Russia and the West. Polling day - monitored by a large team of OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) observers working alongside thousands of local ones - saw a turnout of some 72%. The PCM came out on top with 40 seats - a clear margin over their two most serious rivals but still short of an absolute majority. On 21 April, an agreement to form a new right-wing coalition Government was reached between the CDM, PMPD and PFD. Prime Minister Ciubuc remained at the head of a reshuffled Cabinet.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (22 March 1998): Elections results
Number of registered electors	2,324,300 (approx.)
Voters	1,680,470 (72.3%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	57,480
Valid votes	1,622,990

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	%
Party of Moldovan Communists (PCM)	30.1
Democratic Convention (CDM)	19.2
Movement for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova (PMDP)	18.2
Party of Democratic Forces (PFD)	8.8

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Party of Moldovan Communists (PCM)	40
Democratic Convention (CDM)	26
Movement for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova (PMDP)	24
Party of Democratic Forces (PFD)	11

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	92
Women:	9