Maia Sandu Takes Oath for Second Term as President of Moldova
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Bucharest, Dec 24 (NationPress) Maia Sandu on Tuesday officially took office as the President of the Republic of Moldova for a second term. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Palace of the Republic in Chisinau.
After her re-election was validated by the Constitutional Court, Sandu took the oath of office with her hand resting on the Constitution, pledging to safeguard democracy, sovereignty, and the rights of the citizens.
She expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the people of Moldova for their strength and unity, stating, "Moldova is not merely a small nation with a grand heart; it also serves as an inspiration for others during challenging times," as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Sandu laid out her key policy focuses, which include European integration, national security, and economic development, urging all citizens to actively participate in realizing these objectives.
She first won the Moldovan presidential elections in 2020 and was re-elected in a runoff held in November.
The initial round of the presidential election occurred on October 20.
As none of the 11 candidates in the presidential race achieved an absolute majority of votes -- 50 percent plus one -- the runoff was conducted between the top two contenders.
In this runoff, Sandu received 930,139 votes, surpassing her opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo, who received 750,430 votes, thereby becoming Moldova's first directly elected president to secure a second term.
The results of the November 3 presidential runoff were officially confirmed by the Constitutional Court of Moldova, validating Maia Sandu's re-election as president.
"The decision is conclusive, cannot be contested, and takes effect immediately," declared the court's President Domnica Manole.
According to Moldovan law, the president-elect must take the oath of office before the Parliament and the Constitutional Court within 45 days following the election.
The presidential term is four years long, commencing from the date of the swearing-in ceremony.
Sandu, a pro-European reformist leader, has been leading efforts to modernize Moldova and enhance its relationship with the European Union.
The 52-year-old previously served as Moldova's Education Minister from 2012 to 2015 and as Prime Minister from January to November 2019.
