Candidates proposed by voters for elections for local government bodies

(amended by Law No. 74/2012, dated 19 July 2012)

1. A group of voters residing in an electoral zone shall have the right to propose a candidate for mayor or a candidate for local council no later than 50 days before the election date.

2. A candidate proposed by a group of voters may not be part of any party or coalition that is running in that electoral zone, nor can they openly or indirectly support any other subject or candidate running in that electoral zone.

3. For the presentation of a candidate by the voters, an initiating committee shall be established, which shall be composed of no fewer than 9 voters from the respective electoral zone, who are tasked with organising the work for gathering the supporting signatures for the candidate. No later than 70 days before the election date, the initiating committee shall register with the CEAZ and submit the names of the committee members. The committee may register a candidate for mayor only if it has gathered support for the candidate from 1 percent of the voters registered in the list of that electoral zone, but, in any case, no fewer than 50 voters, in accordance with the procedures provided for in this Code.

4. Candidates proposed by voters shall be exempted from the obligation provided for in point 3 of this Article if they are mayors, members of the relevant local government unit council, or deputies. In this case, the candidate shall submit a written attestation issued by the Assembly or the local government unit certifying the possession of the seat for at least the last 6 months.