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Smirnov leading at Transdniestria presidential elections-exit poll

The former parliament speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk is running second with 23.21%

TIRASPOL, December 12 (Itar-Tass) —— The incumbent president of the Transdniestrian self-proclaimed republic Igor Smirnov is leading at the Transdniestrian presidential elections, according to the exit polls, which the Transdniestrian news agency Vector made public after the polling stations closed.

Smirnov gained 47.38% of votes. The former parliament speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk is running second with 23.21%, the incumbent parliament speaker Anatoly Kaminsky is ranked third with 22.06% of votes. Other seven percent came to the leader of the local Communist Party Oleg Khorzhan, the leader of the Breakthrough movement Dmitry Soin and political scientist Andrei Safonov. The protest vote reached 0.58%. If the Transdniestrian Central Election Commission (CEC) confirms these figures, Smirnov and Shevchuk will run in the second round of the presidential elections on December 25.

The Vector news agency is the only organization registered by the CEC empowered to conduct exit polls.

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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