Shevchuk leads in runoff of Transdnestr presidential election - exit poll.

ITAR-TASS - The ex-speaker of the Transdnestr parliament, Yevgeny Shevchuk, leads in the second round of the presidential election, according to exit poll provided by the Sociuminform analytical center.

Shevchuk is leading in the election with 73.4 percent of the vote, while his closest contender, Supreme Council Chairman Anatoly Kaminsky, garnered 22.61 percent of the vote.

Almost four percent voted on Sunday against all candidates that seek the post of Moldovan breakaway republic’s leader for the next five years.

Shevchuk and Kaminsky faced off in the runoff after taking 38.55 percent and 26.3 percent of the vote in the first round respectively.

Outgoing president Igor Smirnov garnered 24.66 percent of the vote in the first round. Election officials rejected his appeal to declare the vote invalid, saying there were no grounds to do so.

The Russian-speaking region gained de facto independence from Moldova in 1992. A joint peacekeeping force of the Russian, Moldovan and Transdnestr contingents has been deployed in the area.

Transdnestr is seeking full independence, but Moldova says it is only prepared to allow autonomy.