1996 Transnistrian presidential election

Transnistria presidential 1991 Transnistrian presidential election 1991 2001 Transnistrian presidential election 2001 22 December 1996 125x125px 150x150px Igor Smirnov Independent politician Alexandru Caraman 71.94% Vladimir Malakhov Independent politician Vasily Protsenko 19.84% President Igor Smirnov Independent politician Igor Smirnov Independent politician Presidential elections were held in the breakaway republic of Transnistria on 22 December, 1996. They were won by the incumbent Igor Smirnov, who ruled Transnistria since 1991. Smirnov's only opponent was Vladimir Malakhov, who was beaten by Smirnov, 72% to 20%.ru Olvia Press: Presidential elections in Transnistria https://web.archive.org/web/20110713002627/http://www.olvia.idknet.com/ol41-12-06.htm 2011-07-13 Open Media Research Institute: Daily Digest, No. 246, 30 December 1996 https://web.archive.org/web/20110609224148/http://www.b-info.com/places/Bulgaria/news/96-12/dec30.omri 9 June 2011 On 2 November, it was reported that Transnistria's central electoral commission had registered only two candidates for the election. Six others, including head of the Tiraspol city council Vitalii Glebov, were unable to collect the necessary 10,000 signatures.Open Media Research Institute: Daily Digest, No. 213, Part II, 4 November 1996 https://web.archive.org/web/20110609224517/http://www.b-info.com/places/Bulgaria/news/96-12/dec20.omri 9 June 2011 Before the election, Malakhov claimed that his campaign was receiving "unequal treatment" from the media. He was considering withdrawing from the race, which would invalidate the election, the constitution requiring at least 2 candidates for the election to be able to occur. However, the Parliament of Transnistria amended the constitution, so that Smirnov could get elected unopposed. Malakhov then decided to continue his campaign.Open Media Research Institute: Daily Digest, No. 245, 19 Dec 96 Results Summary of the 22 December 1996 Transnistrian presidential election results |- ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" width=250|Candidate ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" width=250|Vice-pres. candidate ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Votes ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |% |- | style="text-align: left" | Igor Smirnov | style="text-align: left" | Alexandru Caraman | | 71.94 |- |- | style="text-align: left" | Vladimir Malakhov | style="text-align: left" | Vasily Protsenko | | 19.84 |- |- |style="background-color:#f2f2f2;text-align:left;" colspan=2|None of the above, blank or invalid |style="background-color:#f2f2f2" | |style="background-color:#f2f2f2" |8.22 |- | style="background-color: #f2f2f2; text-align: left; font-weight: bold" colspan=2| Total (turnout 57.1%) | style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-weight: bold" | | style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-weight: bold" | 100.0% |- | style="text-align: left" colspan="5" | Sources: Olvia Press – Transnistrian press agency https://web.archive.org/web/20110713002627/http://www.olvia.idknet.com/ol41-12-06.htm 2011-07-13 Open Media Research Institute |} According to an article by the ethnic Russian researcher from Moldova Alla Skvortsova from 2002, "polls and elections in the PMR may to some extent have been rigged".Alla Skvortsova, "The Cultural and Social Makeup of Moldova: A Bipolar or Dispersed Society?", in Pal Kolsto (ed.), National Integration and Violent Conflict in Post-Soviet Societies (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.), p. 176. References Category:1996 elections in Moldova Category:Elections in Transnistria Category:1996 in Transnistria