Chief of Staff to Moldovan President on debates between Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo

13:38 | 22.10.2024 Category: Political

Chisinau, Oct 22 /MOLDPRES/- Chief of Staff to the Moldovan President Adrian Băluțel has provided details on the talks to prepare the debate between Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo, presidential candidates.

According to Băluțel, October 24 has been proposed for the debates.

"We have proposed Thursday in order to offer this discussion to citizens as soon as possible. The day of the debate is still being discussed - but we propose that it should be sooner, at least on Friday, so that the candidates have time to go to the districts over the weekend. Our team proposed the national TV studio, the counter-candidate's team refused and proposed a platform outside the TV. We accepted. Our team proposed an independent moderator, an expert agreed by all from civil society. Their team proposed two moderators, we accept one, and two, and three - this is not essential, the debate matters, not who the moderators are. Their team suggested a journalist from Realitatea TV, we accepted. Then they changed their mind and proposed Gheorghe Gonța as moderator," said Adrian Băluțel.

He noted that citizens deserve a debate as soon as possible and this is more important than the conditions under which it is organized.

"We believe that it is not fair to have two moderators - there are not 'our' moderators and 'their' moderators. That's why we accept the conditions they ask to participate. Because we believe that the citizens deserve a debate as soon as possible and this is more important than the conditions under which it is organized", Băluțel said.

Action and Solidarity Party candidate Maia Sandu invited Alexandr Stoianoglo, candidate of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova to the electoral debates on Monday. Also on Monday, Alexandr Stoianoglo announced that he would take part in the electoral debates, but asked that they be on a neutral platform with two moderators, one each from PSRM and PAS.

Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo are to face each other in the runoff election. The election is expected to take place two weeks after the first round - on November 3.

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