Transnistrian presidential election, 2006

The 2006 presidential election in Transnistria was held on December 10 of that year. Incumbent President Igor Smirnov won despite opposition having stiffened during the final weeks of the campaign. Three candidates registered to run besides the incumbent Smirnov: Bender MP for "the Renewal" party Peter Tomaily, Pridnestrovie Communist Party candidate Nadezhda Bondarenko and journalist Andrey Safonov.

Preelection period

Andrey Safonov's candidacy was at first rejected on the basis of insufficient and allegedly fraudulent signatures, [ [http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/node/370 Back in the race: Tiraspol Court overrules Election Commission on Safonov candidacy] ] but on 30 November the Tiraspol law court accepted it.

Despite the court ruling, at the Electoral Commission meeting on 27 November Safonov's registration was not accepted with some members claiming that the court decision needed to be challenged at a higher instance. The Commission finally allowed the candidacy on 5 December.

Starting with 7 December, early voting was allowed for those persons for whom it was impossible to come to the polls on 10 December. [ [http://infotag.md/inews/65594/ Infotag - Early voting begins in Transnistria] ] .

Official results

Contestation

Andrey Safonov, one of the opposition candidates, suggested that election results were rigged in favour of the incumbent leader. He claimed that there was a strange difference between the exit polls results and the official results [ [http://en.rian.ru/world/20061211/56766023.html Russian information Agency Novosti - Opposition hopefull chalange Transdniester vote results] ] and proceeded to challenge the election results in court. [ [http://transnistria.md/ro/news//775/ CANDIDAT INDEPENDENT A ATACAT IN JUSTITIE REZULTATELE "ALEGERILOR PREZIDENTIALE" DIN TRANSNISTRIA (Romanian)] ]

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6218786.stm BBC coverage]
* [http://www.olvia.idknet.com/vibori.htm Official news coverage] (Russian)
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/10/europe/EU_GEN_Moldova_Trans_Dniester_Separatists.php International Herald Tribune 10 December 2006]
* [http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/node/430 No surprise: Smirnov wins re-election by wide margin in Transdniester]
* [http://www.bhhrg.org/CountryReport.asp?CountryID=16&ReportID=269 British election observers' PMR Presidential Elections Report]