Polls Close In Transdniester Legislative, Municipal Elections

Polls have closed in legislative and municipal elections in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester.

The overall voter turnout reached 36 percent as of 4pm local time on November 29, the chairwoman of the Transdniestrian Central Elections Commission Yelena Gorodetskaya said.

The Central Election Commission says 138 candidates are running for the 43-seat parliament, the Supreme Council.

The candidates include three members of the government, including de facto Prime Minister Tatiana Turanskaya.

The Renewal political party currently holds 18 seats in parliament.

Inhabited mainly by speakers of Russian and Ukrainian, Transdniester declared independence from then-Soviet Moldova in 1990 and fought a war with Moldovan forces in 1992.

It has support from Moscow and hosts some 1,400 Russian troops, but is not recognized by any country.

Based on reporting by TASS