Transnistrian presidential election, 2011

Candidates

Incumbent president Igor Smirnov, running for re-election, had been in power since Transnistria declared independence in 1990, and was not term-limited.

Candidate registration was open from 11 September to 11 November. On 14 September, opposition MP and former speaker of the Supreme Council Yevgeny Shevchuk was the first to nominate himself at the CEC. Shevchuk is affiliated with Renewal, who are already supporting Kaminski, signalling a possible split. Shevchuk had been followed by Pridnestrovie Communist Party chairman and MP Oleg Khorzhan, as well as newspaper editor Andrey Safonov, who was also a candidate in the 2006 election.

On 28 September, Breakthrough founder and MP Dmitry Soin also nominated himself as a candidate.

Soin, Smirnov, Khorzhan, Safonov, Shevchuk and Kaminsky were registered as candidates, Safonov was initially refused registration by CEC with reference to more than 15% of invalid signatures among those gathered in his support, but later registered according to a ruling by Tiraspol city court.

Election

An exit poll taken showed Smirnov in the lead with 47.38%, with opposition vote split between Shevchuk (23.21%) and Kaminski (22.6%). Transnistrian law requires a majority to be elected, meaning a second round would be necessary.

After the election, the incumbent Smirnov called for the results to be scrapped due to irregularities. Announcement of results was postponed from 12 December to 14 December.

Preliminary results (with 95% of the vote counted) showed that Smirnov was only in third place with 25.5%, with Shevchuk at 39% and Kaminski at 27.7% reaching the run-off round. Kaminski is reportedly Russia's preferred candidate.

A run-off was held on December 25 and according to a source in the Central Election Commission of Transnistria quoted by RIA Novosti Shevchuk won it after garnering 74% of the votes. His rival Anatoliy Kaminskiy received only 20% and acknowledged his defeat. The turnout was 51.7%.