PAS local election setback leaves ruling party outside run-offs
The Central Electoral Commission has published the results of local elections held yesterday in 12 settlements across Moldova. While the ruling party was still able to push some candidates through in villages, its nominees in towns failed even to reach the second round.
In Orhei, where candidate Victor Perțu from Democracy at Home was removed from the race after a major scandal involving the courts, the Central Electoral Commission, loyal MPs and government-friendly propagandists, the PAS candidate finished only fifth.
Sergiu Stanciu, who had sought Perțu’s removal, received just 15.02% of the vote.
The winner in Orhei will be decided in a second round. It will be contested by Ramiz Ansarov, who received 23.14%, and Sergiu Aga of the LOC party, who won 19.53%.
Ansarov lives and works in Orhei and owns a coffee shop. In this election, he ran as an independent candidate. However, in the recent parliamentary elections, he had run on the list of Irina Vlah’s Heart of Moldova party.
Sergiu Aga is a priest of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the head of a charity organisation. He has received support from the Romanian state, which allocated 50,000 Romanian lei for painting his church. In 2023, he had already run for mayor of Orhei from the People’s Will party, but finished third with 5.72%.
Taraclia result points to another PAS defeat
In Taraclia, the clear leaders were independent candidate Alexandr Borimecikov, with 31.01%, and Ecaterina Iacobciac of the PSRM, with 28.45%.
The PAS candidate, Andrei Lambrou, finished a distant third, receiving only 14.97%.
Borimecikov is an ethnic Bulgarian and head of the Association for the Development of the Bulgarian Community in Moldova. In 2025, he became head of the local branch of Angel Kanchev University of Ruse in Bulgaria.
Ecaterina Iacobciac heads the PSRM territorial organisation in Taraclia. For many years, she led the small village of Novosiolovca in Taraclia district.
Pressure may now shift to Taraclia
Having failed to get its candidate into the second round, PAS now appears to be preparing a “Plan B” built around discrediting and removing the frontrunner.
Alexandr Borimecikov has already been accused of using campaign printed materials and videos that were allegedly not paid for from the official electoral fund.
It appears that, over the next two weeks, the main election news will come from Taraclia.
