- Title: Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria elects its president
- Date: 11th December 2016
- Summary: TIRASPOL, TRANSDNIESTRIA, MOLDOVA (DECEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ENTERING VOTING STATION VARIOUS OF SELF-PROCLAIMED TRANSDNIESTRIAN PRESIDENT, YEVGENI SHEVCHUK, HIS WIFE NINA AND HIS DAUGHTER SOFIA WALKING TO POLLING STATION PHOTOS OF CANDIDATES ON BOARD SHEVCHUK'S PICTURE VARIOUS OF SHEVCHUK REGISTERING FOR VOTE VARIOUS OF SHEVCHUK SIGNING SHEVCHUK TAKING HIS PASSPORT SHEVCHUK CASTING BALLOT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SELF-PROCLAIMED TRANSDNIESTRIAN PRESIDENT, YEVGENI SHEVCHUK, SAYING: "Residents of Transdniestria will elect their leader for the coming five years; the destiny of our country depends on their choice. Foreign relations are complicated now; the election campaign was very complicated. And it is obvious that the development of Transdniestria as a state will depend on this choice." MAN CASTING BALLOT MONITORS WATCHING MAN REGISTERING FOR VOTE ELECTION COMMISSION MEMBER WRITING MAN WALKING TO BOOTH ELECTION COMMISSION MAN CASTING BALLOT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) INTERNATIONAL MONITOR FROM RUSSIA, KAZBEK TAYSAYEV, SAYING: "Commissions at the polling stations are well-prepared. The managers are aware of what they should do and how they should do it. Work started on time without delays or anything like this. We are in contact with all the monitors for the candidates. It looks like no one has any remarks so far." ELECTION COMMISSION / BOOTHS VARIOUS OF WOMAN REGISTERING FOR VOTE PEOPLE CASTING BALLOTS PAPERS ON TABLE WOMAN CASTING BALLOT ELECTION COMMISSION (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNIDENTIFIED TIRASPOL RESIDENT, SAYING: "I want us to live well and in peace, live decently. Russia helps us a lot, but so to say if the host is bad - this help will be invisible." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNIDENTIFIED TIRASPOL RESIDENT, SAYING: "(I voted for) first of all - easier life, second - public services." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNIDENTIFIED TIRASPOL RESIDENT, SAYING: "(I voted) for the god life, so that the young had work places, the elderly had pensions. The most important thing is that we live in peace." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AND CARS IN STREET
- Embargoed: 26th December 2016 14:08
- Keywords: Moldova Transdniestria presidential election Yevgeni Shevchuk
- Location: TIRASPOL, TRANSDNIESTRIA, MOLDOVA
- City: TIRASPOL, TRANSDNIESTRIA, MOLDOVA
- Country: Moldova
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CFUTL3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Residents of Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria republic visited polling stations on Sunday (December 11) as the presidential election got under way.
People could show their preference to one of the six candidates, among whom the current leader of Transdniestria, Yevgeni Shevchuk, the speaker of the local parliament, Vadim Krasnoselsky and the leader of the Communist party, Oleg Khorzhan.
Shevchuk came to vote with his wife Nina and his daughter Sofia. He urged fellow citizens to make their choice with responsibility.
"Residents of Transdniestria will elect their leader for the coming five years; the destiny of our country depends on their choice. Foreign relations are complicated now; the election campaign was very complicated. And it is obvious that the development of Transdniestria as a state will depend on this choice," he said.
Media quotes the election commission as saying over 80 international monitors are present at the 261 polling stations.
Russian Tass agency says Moldovan authorities prevented several monitors from getting on the territory of the breakaway republic.
The pro-Russian enclave of Transdniestria is a tiny sliver of land on the Dniester river, which declared its independence in September 1990, one year before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, amid fears that Moldova would shortly merge with neighbouring Romania, whose language and culture it broadly shares. Its government is backed by Russia which has about 1500 troops stationed in the area.
Transdniestria has not been recognised by any sovereign state. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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