CHISINAU, Moldova — Pro-Western Moldovan President Maia Sandu won a second term in a crucial presidential runoff against a pro-Russia opponent, in a race that has been overshadowed by allegations of Russian interference, fraud electoral campaign and intimidation against the candidate for the European Union. country.
With nearly 99% of the votes counted in the second round of the presidential election held on Sunday, Sandu obtained 55% of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission, or CEC, compared to 45% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, former attorney general. supported by the pro-Russian Socialist Party.
The result will be a major relief for the pro-Western government, which strongly supported Sandu’s candidacy and his push for closer ties with the West on Moldova’s path to the EU.
“Moldova, you are victorious!” Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy worthy of being written in the history books. Today you saved Moldova! said Sandu after claiming victory after midnight.
She went on to say her country’s vote had faced an “unprecedented attack” through alleged schemes including dirty money, vote buying and election interference “from hostile forces from outside the country” and criminal groups.
“You have shown that nothing can stand in the way of the power of the people when they choose to express themselves through their vote,” she added.
Speaking before the final vote count, Stoianoglo told media that “everyone’s voice deserves respect” and that he hopes “from now on we will end the hatred and division imposed on us “. It is unclear whether he publicly commented on his election defeat.
At the local polling close at 9:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT), turnout stood at more than 1.68 million people, or around 54% of eligible voters, according to the CEC. The large Moldovan diaspora, which voted in record numbers of more than 325,000 people, came out largely in favor of Sandu in the runoff.
In the first round held on October 20, Sandu received 42% of the votes but failed to obtain an absolute majority over second-placed Stoianoglo. The presidential role grants significant powers in areas such as foreign policy and national security and has a four-year term.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu on her victory, writing on X: “It takes rare strength to overcome the challenges you faced in this election. »
Allegations of vote buying and Russian interference
The Moldovan diaspora played a key role in the presidential vote and in the national referendum held on October 20, when a slim majority of 50.35% voted to secure Moldova’s membership in the EU. But the results of the vote, including Sunday’s, were overshadowed by allegations of a major vote-buying scheme and voter intimidation.
Instead of winning the massive support Sandu had hoped for, the results of both elections revealed that Moldova’s justice system was incapable of adequately protecting the democratic process.
On Sunday, Moldovan police said they had “reasonable evidence” of organized transportation of voters – illegal under the country’s electoral code – to polling stations from within the country and from abroad, and that it was “investigating and recording evidence related to air transport activities from Russia to Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
“Such measures are taken to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that the vote of every citizen is cast freely, without undue pressure or influence,” police said.
The Moldovan Foreign Ministry said on Sunday afternoon that polling stations in Frankfurt, Germany, as well as Liverpool and Northampton in the United Kingdom, had been targeted by false bomb threats, which were “aimed solely at to stop the voting process.
Stanislav Secrieru, the president’s national security adviser, wrote on
Secrieru later added that national voter registration systems were the target of “coordinated and ongoing cyberattacks” aimed at disrupting links between domestic polling stations and those abroad, and that cybersecurity teams were “working to counter these threats and ensure the continuity of the system.”
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said people across the country had received “anonymous death threats via phone calls” in what he called an “extreme attack” aimed at scaring former voters. Soviet republic, which has around 2.5 million inhabitants.
After voting in Chisinau, Sandu told reporters: “Thieves want to buy our vote, thieves want to buy our country, but the power of the people is infinitely greater. »
Outside a polling station in the Romanian capital Bucharest, Silviana Zestrea, a 20-year-old medical student, said the runoff would be a “definitive step” toward Moldova’s future.
“People need to understand that we need to choose a real candidate who will meet our expectations,” she said. “Because I think even though we are now a diaspora, none of us really wanted to leave. »
Moldovan police uncover scheme allegedly plotted by convicted oligarch
Following the two October votes, Moldovan law enforcement said a vote-buying scheme was orchestrated by Ilan Shor, an exiled oligarch who lives in Russia and was convicted in absentia l last year of fraud and money laundering. Shor denies any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors say $39 million was paid to more than 130,000 beneficiaries through an internationally sanctioned Russian bank between September and October. Anti-corruption authorities have carried out hundreds of searches and seized more than $2.7 million (2.5 million euros) in cash as part of their crackdown.
In one case in Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova where only 5% voted in favor of the EU, a doctor was arrested after allegedly forcing 25 residents of a nursing home to vote for a candidate he they had not chosen. Police said they had obtained “conclusive evidence”, including financial transfers from the same Russian bank.
At a church in Comrat, Gagauzia’s capital, on Saturday, Father Vasilii told The Associated Press that he urged people to vote because it is a “civic obligation” and they do not name no candidate.
“We use the goods that the country gives us – electricity, gas,” he said. “Whether we like what the government is doing or not, we have to go vote. …The Church always prays for peace.
Prosecutors raided a political party headquarters on Thursday and said 12 people were suspected of paying voters to select a candidate for the presidential race. A criminal case was also opened in which 40 employees of state agencies were suspected of accepting electoral bribes.
Moldova’s European future is at stake
Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told AP that whatever the outcome of the runoff, it “won’t reduce” geopolitical tensions. “On the contrary, I expect geopolitical polarization to be amplified by the campaign for the 2025 legislative elections.”
Moldovan law enforcement needs more resources and better-trained personnel working faster to combat electoral fraud, he added, in order to “create an environment in which anyone is tempted to buying or selling votes knows that there will be clear and rapid consequences.
Savlina Adasan, a 21-year-old economics student in Bucharest, said she voted for Sandu and cited concerns about corruption and a lack of voter information about both candidates.
“We want a European future for our country,” she said, adding that it offers “many opportunities, development for our country… and I have the impression that if the other candidate wins , that means we are taking 10 steps back as a country.” .”
A pro-Western government has been in power in Moldova since 2021 and parliamentary elections will be held in 2025. Moldovan observers warn that next year’s vote could be Moscow’s main target.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was granted candidate status in June of the same year and, in the summer of 2024, Brussels agreed to begin accession negotiations. The abrupt move westward angered Moscow and significantly deteriorated relations with Chisinau.
McGrath reported from Bucharest, Romania. Associated Press writer Nicolae Dumitrache in Comrat, Moldova, contributed to this report.
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