Kocharyan won 38.82 percent of the votes cast and Demirchyan, Armenia's Soviet-era communist leader, 30.62 percent. The other 10 candidates were much further behind. Voice of America on 19 also had coverage. Reuters on 19 March reported that Moldovans, fed up with broken promises and hard times, are at a loss over how to vote in this Sunday's parliamentary election. In another 19 March story, Reuters reported that the whole country forms a single electoral district with 2,100 polling stations.
All voters receive the same list of blocs, parties and independent candidates.
There are 2.4 million registered voters in Moldova. At the previous parliamentary election in 1994 the turnout was 79.3 percent, falling to 71.6 percent for the presidential election in 1996. The Halifax Herald on 20 March reported that when the premier called the 24 March General Assembly election on 12 February the Liberals held 39 of the 52 seats in the legislature and probably had polls showing healthy support. Yet the best they can hope for now is a slim majority, Cape Breton political scientist David Johnson said Thursday. The latest opinion poll showed the Liberals and NDP neck and neck with 26 per cent of decided voters each.