CHISINAU, November 13. /TASS/. Igor Dodon, the leader of Moldova’s Party of Socialists advocating closer relations with Russia, is leading Sunday’s presidential elections in Moldova.

According to preliminary data, Dodon is winning 57.8% of votes, the Central Election Commission said after counting 69% of ballots.

Dodon’s rival, Maia Sandu of the EU-leaning Party of Action and Solidarity, is scoring 42.1% of the vote.

Moldova was electing its president in a nationwide voting, for the first time after a twenty-ear break. The second round of presidential election was held on Sunday. The country’s citizens have to choose between the leader of the Party of Socialists, Igor Dodon, seeking closer relations with Russia and the single candidate of the pro-European forces, the leader of the Action and Solidarity Party and former Education Minister, Maia Sandu. There is no mandatory voter turnout during the second round of voting. A candidate who gets more votes wins the race. If there is an equal number of votes, Dodon who had the best results in the first round will be recognized as the winner. About 3.13 million Moldovan voters could cast their votes at 1,981 polling stations, including 100 abroad.