Voters in Moldova cast their ballots on Sunday in two decisive polls regarding the country's future: a presidential election and a referendum on joining the EU. Frontrunner and incumbent President Maia Sandu is seeking a second term in office but is likely to come up short of the majority needed to avoid a second round of voting.
Issued on: 20/10/2024 -
FRANCE 24
01:40
Moldovans voted on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, with fears of Russian meddling amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
The elections are a test of the former Soviet republic's pro-European turn under incumbent President Maia Sandu, who is seeking a second term.
Police made hundreds of arrests after discovering a massive vote-buying scheme, warning this week that up to a quarter of the ballots cast in the country of 2.6 million could be tainted by Russian cash.
Sandu, who beat a Moscow-backed incumbent in 2020, cut ties with Moscow and applied for Moldova to join the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.ng
She has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Russian efforts to interfere in the vote -- a claim Moscow has rejected.
"We categorically reject these accusations," Russian state news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Monday.
Washington issued a fresh warning this week about suspected Russian interference, while the EU passed new sanctions on several Moldovans.
"I have come to cast my vote for prosperity, peace and wellbeing in our country," said Olga Cernega, a 60-year-old economist, after voting in freezing weather in the capital Chisinau.
Another voter, Ghenadie, who declined to give his last name, said he was worried by what he saw as the country's "western" drift and thought the government was "making the situation worse" economically.
An hour from there in the town of Varnita, a special polling booth was set up for inhabitants of the breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria.
Nicolai, 33, an IT specialist, came to vote with his 5-year-old son.
He said he voted "yes" in the referendum and for Sandu as president.
"I want a life in a free and safe European country," he said, declining to give his full name to avoid repercussion in the state of Transnistria.
'Fate of our country'
Sandu, 52, a former World Bank economist, is the clear favourite in the race.
But with only 35.8 percent of voter support, she is predicted to fall short of the majority needed to avoid a second-round ballot on November 3, according to the latest polls by the WatchDog think tank.
"This election will determine our fate for many years," Sandu said when she came out to vote.
She said the "will of the Moldovan people" should be heard, "not that of others, not dirty money".
Her 10 competitors include Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian Socialists, who is polling at nine percent.
05:28FOCUS © FRANCE 24
Renato Usatii, a 45-year-old former mayor of Moldova's second largest city Balti, is predicted to win 6.4 percent.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT), with the national anthem playing over loudspeakers in the capital Chisinau, according to an AFP journalist.
Voting ended at 9:00 pm and partial results were expected after 10:00 pm.
Voter turnout at 3:00 pm local time was 39 percent for the presidential election, and 33 percent for a referendum asking whether the constitution should be modified to include joining the EU as an objective.
The 27-member bloc began membership talks with Chisinau this June.
Of those surveyed, 55.1 percent said they would vote "yes", while 34.5 percent said they were set on "no".
For any referendum result to be valid, participation must reach at least 33 percent, indicating that Sunday's result should be valid. Some pro-Russian parties have campaigned for a boycott.
'Hard at work'
Sandu toured the country saying that joining the EU will help improve life in one of Europe's poorest nations.
Sandu's critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation and reform the judiciary.
In his campaign, Stoianoglo -- who was fired as prosecutor by Sandu -- has called for the "restoration of justice" and vowed to wage a "balanced foreign policy".
He abstained from voting in the referendum.
Usatii has said he is the best choice, as he is "the only one who is not controlled either by the East or the West".
Fears of Russian interference are looming large.
Police said this month that millions of dollars from Russia to corrupt voters were funnelled into the country by people affiliated to Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman and former politician.
The "unprecedented" scheme could taint up to 300,000 ballots, according to police.
Convicted in absentia last year for fraud, Shor regularly brands Moldova a "police state" and the West's "obedient puppet".
"Russia is hard at work. They have never (before) put in so much money," Romanian historian Armand Gosu, who specialises in Russia and the former Soviet space, told AFP.
In addition to the suspected vote buying, hundreds of young people were found to have been trained in Russia and the Balkans to create "mass disorder" in Moldova, including in tactics to provoke law enforcement, according to police.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Women cast their vote in Chisinau, Moldova on October 20, 2024 during a presidential election and referendum on whether to enshrine in the Constitution the country's path to European Union membership. © Vadim Ghirda, AP
Moldovans voted on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, with fears of Russian meddling amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
The elections are a test of the former Soviet republic's pro-European turn under incumbent President Maia Sandu, who is seeking a second term.
Police made hundreds of arrests after discovering a massive vote-buying scheme, warning this week that up to a quarter of the ballots cast in the country of 2.6 million could be tainted by Russian cash.
Sandu, who beat a Moscow-backed incumbent in 2020, cut ties with Moscow and applied for Moldova to join the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.ng
01:47
She has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Russian efforts to interfere in the vote -- a claim Moscow has rejected.
"We categorically reject these accusations," Russian state news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Monday.
Washington issued a fresh warning this week about suspected Russian interference, while the EU passed new sanctions on several Moldovans.
"I have come to cast my vote for prosperity, peace and wellbeing in our country," said Olga Cernega, a 60-year-old economist, after voting in freezing weather in the capital Chisinau.
Another voter, Ghenadie, who declined to give his last name, said he was worried by what he saw as the country's "western" drift and thought the government was "making the situation worse" economically.
An hour from there in the town of Varnita, a special polling booth was set up for inhabitants of the breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria.
Nicolai, 33, an IT specialist, came to vote with his 5-year-old son.
He said he voted "yes" in the referendum and for Sandu as president.
"I want a life in a free and safe European country," he said, declining to give his full name to avoid repercussion in the state of Transnistria.
'Fate of our country'
Sandu, 52, a former World Bank economist, is the clear favourite in the race.
But with only 35.8 percent of voter support, she is predicted to fall short of the majority needed to avoid a second-round ballot on November 3, according to the latest polls by the WatchDog think tank.
"This election will determine our fate for many years," Sandu said when she came out to vote.
She said the "will of the Moldovan people" should be heard, "not that of others, not dirty money".
Her 10 competitors include Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian Socialists, who is polling at nine percent.
Moldova's Sandu decries 'unprecedented' meddling as EU referendum goes to wire
Updated Sun, October 20, 2024
By Tom Balmforth and Alexander Tanas
CHISINAU (Reuters) -Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Sunday's twin votes faced an "unprecedented" assault from outside interference after preliminary results showed the election heading for a tight run-off and an EU referendum going to the wire.
With more than 92% of the ballots counted, 52% voted "no" in the referendum with 47% Moldovans voting "yes". Despite the gap, analysts said the "yes" camp could still prevail because the largely pro-EU diaspora's ballots were yet to be counted.
Sandu meanwhile had 38% of the vote at the presidential election, while her main rival, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, had 28%, setting the stage for a Nov. 3 run-off in the poor ex-Soviet southeast European nation.
The vote goes to a run-off if no candidate clears the 50% mark.
In a statement to Moldovans, Sandu said there was "clear evidence" that criminal groups working together with foreign forces hostile to Moldova's interests sought to buy off 300,000 votes, something she called "fraud of unprecedented scale."
"Their objective was to undermine a democratic process. Their intention was to spread fear and panic in society... We are waiting for the final results, and we will respond with firm decisions," she said.
The run-up to the vote was overshadowed by a slew of Moldovan allegations of election meddling by fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor who lives in Russia. Moscow has denied interfering, while Shor denies wrongdoing.
Earlier this month, Moldovan police accused Shor, who was jailed in absentia for fraud and theft, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote "no" and support "our candidate" at the elections.
Shor has openly offered on social media to pay Moldovans to convince others to vote in a certain way and said that is a legitimate use of money that he earned.
In the early hours of Monday, he said Moldovans had voted against the referendum, adding "today I congratulate you, you lost the battle", addressing Sandu simply as Maia.
Ahead of the vote, Moldovan authorities took down online resources they said hosted disinformation, announced they had uncovered a programme in Russia to train Moldovans to stage mass unrest and opened criminal cases against allies of Shor.
'IN THE GRAY ZONE'
Flanked by Romania and war-stricken Ukraine, Moldova has alternated between pro-Western and pro-Russian courses since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.
Ties with Moscow have deteriorated under Sandu who has championed EU integration. Her government has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, accused Russia of plotting her overthrow, and diversified energy supply after Russia reduced gas supplies. Russia has accused Sandu's government of Russophobia.
Sunday's referendum sought to decide whether to insert a clause into the constitution defining EU accession as a goal.
As the war in Ukraine has raged to the east, turning the political and diplomatic spotlight on Moldova, it has accelerated its push to escape Moscow's orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks.
A "no" vote would not be legally binding, but would energise Stoianoglo's campaign and would be a blow to Sandu. The pro-Western incumbent wants Moldova to join the EU by 2030.
Polls had showed a clear majority of Moldovans supporting accession to the European Union ahead of the vote.
At least five of the candidates told their supporters to either boycott the referendum or vote "no", arguing the referendum was a ruse to boost Sandu's haul at the election.
Stoianoglo, whose candidacy was backed by the traditionally pro-Moscow Party of Socialists, boycotted the referendum as he voted, saying the country needed a new government and that if he won, he would develop ties with the EU, Russia, U.S. and China.
Oazu Nantoi, a lawmaker for Sandu's PAS party, put the weaker-than-expected result down to what he said was Russian "hybrid" interference.
"We are in the gray zone and under great influence of Putin," he said.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Alexander Tanas; editing by David Evans, Rod Nickel, Alex Richardson, Giles Elgood and Diane Craft)
Moldova votes on EU future amid fears of Russian meddling
Ani SANDU
Sun, October 20, 2024
Sandu's critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation (Daniel MIHAILESCU) (Daniel MIHAILESCU/AFP/AFP)
Moldovans voted on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, with fears of Russian meddling amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
The elections are a test of the former Soviet republic's pro-European turn under incumbent President Maia Sandu, who is seeking a second term.
Police made hundreds of arrests after discovering a massive vote-buying scheme, warning this week that up to a quarter of the ballots cast in the country of 2.6 million could be tainted by Russian cash.
Sandu, who beat a Moscow-backed incumbent in 2020, cut ties with Moscow and applied for Moldova to join the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
She has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Russian efforts to interfere in the vote -- a claim Moscow has rejected.
"We categorically reject these accusations," Russian state news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Monday.
Washington issued a fresh warning this week about suspected Russian interference, while the EU passed new sanctions on several Moldovans.
"I have come to cast my vote for prosperity, peace and wellbeing in our country," said Olga Cernega, a 60-year-old economist, after voting in freezing weather in the capital Chisinau.
Another voter, Ghenadie, who declined to give his last name, said he was worried by what he saw as the country's "western" drift and thought the government was "making the situation worse" economically.
An hour from there in the town of Varnita, a special polling booth was set up for inhabitants of the breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria.
Nicolai, 33, an IT specialist, came to vote with his 5-year-old son.
He said he voted "yes" in the referendum and for Sandu as president.
"I want a life in a free and safe European country," he said, declining to give his full name to avoid repercussion in the state of Transnistria.
- 'Fate of our country' -
Sandu, 52, a former World Bank economist, is the clear favourite in the race.
But with only 35.8 percent of voter support, she is predicted to fall short of the majority needed to avoid a second-round ballot on November 3, according to the latest polls by the WatchDog think tank.
"This election will determine our fate for many years," Sandu said when she came out to vote.
She said the "will of the Moldovan people" should be heard, "not that of others, not dirty money".
Her 10 competitors include Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian Socialists, who is polling at nine percent.
Renato Usatii, a 45-year-old former mayor of Moldova's second largest city Balti, is predicted to win 6.4 percent.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT), with the national anthem playing over loudspeakers in the capital Chisinau, according to an AFP journalist.
Voting will end at 9:00 pm and partial results are expected from around 10:00 pm.
Voter turnout at 3:00 pm local time was 39 percent for the presidential election, and 33 percent for a referendum asking whether the constitution should be modified to include joining the EU as an objective.
The 27-member bloc began membership talks with Chisinau this June.
Of those surveyed, 55.1 percent said they would vote "yes", while 34.5 percent said they were set on "no".
For any referendum result to be valid, participation must reach at least 33 percent, indicating that Sunday's result should be valid. Some pro-Russian parties have campaigned for a boycott.
- 'Hard at work' -
Sandu toured the country saying that joining the EU will help improve life in one of Europe's poorest nations.
Sandu's critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation and reform the judiciary.
In his campaign, Stoianoglo -- who was fired as prosecutor by Sandu -- has called for the "restoration of justice" and vowed to wage a "balanced foreign policy".
He abstained from voting in the referendum.
Usatii has said he is the best choice, as he is "the only one who is not controlled either by the East or the West".
Fears of Russian interference are looming large.
Police said this month that millions of dollars from Russia to corrupt voters were funnelled into the country by people affiliated to Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman and former politician.
The "unprecedented" scheme could taint up to 300,000 ballots, according to police.
Convicted in absentia last year for fraud, Shor regularly brands Moldova a "police state" and the West's "obedient puppet".
"Russia is hard at work. They have never (before) put in so much money," Romanian historian Armand Gosu, who specialises in Russia and the former Soviet space, told AFP.
In addition to the suspected vote buying, hundreds of young people were found to have been trained in Russia and the Balkans to create "mass disorder" in Moldova, including in tactics to provoke law enforcement, according to police.
Moldova votes in election and EU referendum amid alleged Russian interference
Alastair Jamieson
Sun, October 20, 2024
Moldova’s president Maia Sandu casts her vote in Chisinau on Sunday (AFP via Getty)
Moldovans were voting on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum that could determine whether the small country continues its path to European Union membership, amid ongoing allegations of Russian election meddling.
With the war in Ukraine raging to the east, the former Soviet republic has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks.
Polls show pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu has a lead over her 10 rivals on the ballot, though the race will go to a November run-off if she fails to reach the 50 per cent threshold to win outright.
Voters will also choose “Yes” or “No” in a referendum on whether to enshrine in the country’s constitution its path towards joining the 27-nation EU. Polls by WatchDog, a Chisinau-based think tank, show that a clear majority of more than 50 per cent support the EU path. The referendum needs a one-third turnout to be valid.
Voters queue outside the Moldovan embassy in Moscow on Sunday (Reuters)
Ms Sandu hopes to see a resounding “Yes” at the referendum, which will decide whether a clause should be inserted into the constitution defining EU accession as a goal.
“Our vote at the referendum will define our fate for many decades to come,” she said after casting her ballot, urging all Moldovans to vote and singling out the diaspora in particular.
The referendum was boycotted by Ms Sandu’s chief presidential rival, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general backed by the traditionally pro-Russian Party of Socialists. He said Moldova needed a new government and that he stood for a “balanced” foreign policy that would develop ties with the EU, Russia, the United States and China.
Flanked by Romania and Ukraine, and with a population of fewer than 3 million people, Moldova has alternated between pro-Western and pro-Russian courses since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.
Ties with Moscow have deteriorated since Ms Sandu came to power in December 2020. Her government has condemned Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, accused Russia of plotting her overthrow, and diversified Moldova’s energy sources after Russia reduced its supply of gas to other countries.
Presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo speaks after casting his vote in the contest. He said he would boycott the parallel EU referendum (EPA)
The foreign ministry issued a statement saying that two polling stations in Moscow – among many set up for Moldovans living abroad – had been “artificially” overcrowded with people, and warning against what it said might be illegal attempts to bus voters in.
The run-up to the vote was overshadowed by election-meddling allegations.
The police accused Ilan Shor, a fugitive tycoon who lives in Russia, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote “No” and to back a specific candidate whose identity he would only disclose at the last minute.
Shor, who was jailed in absentia for fraud and theft and is under Western sanctions, has openly offered to pay Moldovans to persuade others to vote “No” and back “our candidate”. He denies wrongdoing and says the money is his.
In the run-up to the vote, state radio in Chisinau has run adverts appealing to people not to vote for money, and asking them to report any such offers to the authorities.
Voters line up around the block in the Romanian capital Bucharest to take part in elections in neighbouring Moldova (Alastair Jamieson)
On Thursday, law enforcement agencies said they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of people were taken to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest.
US national security spokesperson John Kirby echoed those concerns this week, saying in a statement that “Russia is working actively to undermine Moldova’s election and its European integration”.
Russia denies interfering and accuses Ms Sandu’s government of “Russophobia”.
Police chief Viorel Cernauteanu told reporters there had been a slew of voice and text messages sent from abroad in recent days, telling Moldovans to either boycott the referendum or to vote “No”.
He said the police had done everything they could to prevent any impact on the vote. “There will be some kind of impact in any case, but I think it will not influence the votes overall,” he said.
Early turnout figures were high. In the Romanian capital Bucharest, Moldovans queued around the block to cast their votes.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
Updated Sun, October 20, 2024
By Tom Balmforth and Alexander Tanas
CHISINAU (Reuters) -Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Sunday's twin votes faced an "unprecedented" assault from outside interference after preliminary results showed the election heading for a tight run-off and an EU referendum going to the wire.
With more than 92% of the ballots counted, 52% voted "no" in the referendum with 47% Moldovans voting "yes". Despite the gap, analysts said the "yes" camp could still prevail because the largely pro-EU diaspora's ballots were yet to be counted.
Sandu meanwhile had 38% of the vote at the presidential election, while her main rival, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, had 28%, setting the stage for a Nov. 3 run-off in the poor ex-Soviet southeast European nation.
The vote goes to a run-off if no candidate clears the 50% mark.
In a statement to Moldovans, Sandu said there was "clear evidence" that criminal groups working together with foreign forces hostile to Moldova's interests sought to buy off 300,000 votes, something she called "fraud of unprecedented scale."
"Their objective was to undermine a democratic process. Their intention was to spread fear and panic in society... We are waiting for the final results, and we will respond with firm decisions," she said.
The run-up to the vote was overshadowed by a slew of Moldovan allegations of election meddling by fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor who lives in Russia. Moscow has denied interfering, while Shor denies wrongdoing.
Earlier this month, Moldovan police accused Shor, who was jailed in absentia for fraud and theft, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote "no" and support "our candidate" at the elections.
Shor has openly offered on social media to pay Moldovans to convince others to vote in a certain way and said that is a legitimate use of money that he earned.
In the early hours of Monday, he said Moldovans had voted against the referendum, adding "today I congratulate you, you lost the battle", addressing Sandu simply as Maia.
Ahead of the vote, Moldovan authorities took down online resources they said hosted disinformation, announced they had uncovered a programme in Russia to train Moldovans to stage mass unrest and opened criminal cases against allies of Shor.
'IN THE GRAY ZONE'
Flanked by Romania and war-stricken Ukraine, Moldova has alternated between pro-Western and pro-Russian courses since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.
Ties with Moscow have deteriorated under Sandu who has championed EU integration. Her government has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, accused Russia of plotting her overthrow, and diversified energy supply after Russia reduced gas supplies. Russia has accused Sandu's government of Russophobia.
Sunday's referendum sought to decide whether to insert a clause into the constitution defining EU accession as a goal.
As the war in Ukraine has raged to the east, turning the political and diplomatic spotlight on Moldova, it has accelerated its push to escape Moscow's orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks.
A "no" vote would not be legally binding, but would energise Stoianoglo's campaign and would be a blow to Sandu. The pro-Western incumbent wants Moldova to join the EU by 2030.
Polls had showed a clear majority of Moldovans supporting accession to the European Union ahead of the vote.
At least five of the candidates told their supporters to either boycott the referendum or vote "no", arguing the referendum was a ruse to boost Sandu's haul at the election.
Stoianoglo, whose candidacy was backed by the traditionally pro-Moscow Party of Socialists, boycotted the referendum as he voted, saying the country needed a new government and that if he won, he would develop ties with the EU, Russia, U.S. and China.
Oazu Nantoi, a lawmaker for Sandu's PAS party, put the weaker-than-expected result down to what he said was Russian "hybrid" interference.
"We are in the gray zone and under great influence of Putin," he said.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Alexander Tanas; editing by David Evans, Rod Nickel, Alex Richardson, Giles Elgood and Diane Craft)
Moldova votes on EU future amid fears of Russian meddling
Ani SANDU
Sun, October 20, 2024
Sandu's critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation (Daniel MIHAILESCU) (Daniel MIHAILESCU/AFP/AFP)
Moldovans voted on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union, with fears of Russian meddling amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
The elections are a test of the former Soviet republic's pro-European turn under incumbent President Maia Sandu, who is seeking a second term.
Police made hundreds of arrests after discovering a massive vote-buying scheme, warning this week that up to a quarter of the ballots cast in the country of 2.6 million could be tainted by Russian cash.
Sandu, who beat a Moscow-backed incumbent in 2020, cut ties with Moscow and applied for Moldova to join the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
She has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Russian efforts to interfere in the vote -- a claim Moscow has rejected.
"We categorically reject these accusations," Russian state news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Monday.
Washington issued a fresh warning this week about suspected Russian interference, while the EU passed new sanctions on several Moldovans.
"I have come to cast my vote for prosperity, peace and wellbeing in our country," said Olga Cernega, a 60-year-old economist, after voting in freezing weather in the capital Chisinau.
Another voter, Ghenadie, who declined to give his last name, said he was worried by what he saw as the country's "western" drift and thought the government was "making the situation worse" economically.
An hour from there in the town of Varnita, a special polling booth was set up for inhabitants of the breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria.
Nicolai, 33, an IT specialist, came to vote with his 5-year-old son.
He said he voted "yes" in the referendum and for Sandu as president.
"I want a life in a free and safe European country," he said, declining to give his full name to avoid repercussion in the state of Transnistria.
- 'Fate of our country' -
Sandu, 52, a former World Bank economist, is the clear favourite in the race.
But with only 35.8 percent of voter support, she is predicted to fall short of the majority needed to avoid a second-round ballot on November 3, according to the latest polls by the WatchDog think tank.
"This election will determine our fate for many years," Sandu said when she came out to vote.
She said the "will of the Moldovan people" should be heard, "not that of others, not dirty money".
Her 10 competitors include Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian Socialists, who is polling at nine percent.
Renato Usatii, a 45-year-old former mayor of Moldova's second largest city Balti, is predicted to win 6.4 percent.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT), with the national anthem playing over loudspeakers in the capital Chisinau, according to an AFP journalist.
Voting will end at 9:00 pm and partial results are expected from around 10:00 pm.
Voter turnout at 3:00 pm local time was 39 percent for the presidential election, and 33 percent for a referendum asking whether the constitution should be modified to include joining the EU as an objective.
The 27-member bloc began membership talks with Chisinau this June.
Of those surveyed, 55.1 percent said they would vote "yes", while 34.5 percent said they were set on "no".
For any referendum result to be valid, participation must reach at least 33 percent, indicating that Sunday's result should be valid. Some pro-Russian parties have campaigned for a boycott.
- 'Hard at work' -
Sandu toured the country saying that joining the EU will help improve life in one of Europe's poorest nations.
Sandu's critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation and reform the judiciary.
In his campaign, Stoianoglo -- who was fired as prosecutor by Sandu -- has called for the "restoration of justice" and vowed to wage a "balanced foreign policy".
He abstained from voting in the referendum.
Usatii has said he is the best choice, as he is "the only one who is not controlled either by the East or the West".
Fears of Russian interference are looming large.
Police said this month that millions of dollars from Russia to corrupt voters were funnelled into the country by people affiliated to Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman and former politician.
The "unprecedented" scheme could taint up to 300,000 ballots, according to police.
Convicted in absentia last year for fraud, Shor regularly brands Moldova a "police state" and the West's "obedient puppet".
"Russia is hard at work. They have never (before) put in so much money," Romanian historian Armand Gosu, who specialises in Russia and the former Soviet space, told AFP.
In addition to the suspected vote buying, hundreds of young people were found to have been trained in Russia and the Balkans to create "mass disorder" in Moldova, including in tactics to provoke law enforcement, according to police.
Moldova votes in election and EU referendum amid alleged Russian interference
Alastair Jamieson
Sun, October 20, 2024
Moldova’s president Maia Sandu casts her vote in Chisinau on Sunday (AFP via Getty)
Moldovans were voting on Sunday in a presidential election and a referendum that could determine whether the small country continues its path to European Union membership, amid ongoing allegations of Russian election meddling.
With the war in Ukraine raging to the east, the former Soviet republic has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks.
Polls show pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu has a lead over her 10 rivals on the ballot, though the race will go to a November run-off if she fails to reach the 50 per cent threshold to win outright.
Voters will also choose “Yes” or “No” in a referendum on whether to enshrine in the country’s constitution its path towards joining the 27-nation EU. Polls by WatchDog, a Chisinau-based think tank, show that a clear majority of more than 50 per cent support the EU path. The referendum needs a one-third turnout to be valid.
Voters queue outside the Moldovan embassy in Moscow on Sunday (Reuters)
Ms Sandu hopes to see a resounding “Yes” at the referendum, which will decide whether a clause should be inserted into the constitution defining EU accession as a goal.
“Our vote at the referendum will define our fate for many decades to come,” she said after casting her ballot, urging all Moldovans to vote and singling out the diaspora in particular.
The referendum was boycotted by Ms Sandu’s chief presidential rival, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general backed by the traditionally pro-Russian Party of Socialists. He said Moldova needed a new government and that he stood for a “balanced” foreign policy that would develop ties with the EU, Russia, the United States and China.
Flanked by Romania and Ukraine, and with a population of fewer than 3 million people, Moldova has alternated between pro-Western and pro-Russian courses since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.
Ties with Moscow have deteriorated since Ms Sandu came to power in December 2020. Her government has condemned Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, accused Russia of plotting her overthrow, and diversified Moldova’s energy sources after Russia reduced its supply of gas to other countries.
Presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo speaks after casting his vote in the contest. He said he would boycott the parallel EU referendum (EPA)
The foreign ministry issued a statement saying that two polling stations in Moscow – among many set up for Moldovans living abroad – had been “artificially” overcrowded with people, and warning against what it said might be illegal attempts to bus voters in.
The run-up to the vote was overshadowed by election-meddling allegations.
The police accused Ilan Shor, a fugitive tycoon who lives in Russia, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote “No” and to back a specific candidate whose identity he would only disclose at the last minute.
Shor, who was jailed in absentia for fraud and theft and is under Western sanctions, has openly offered to pay Moldovans to persuade others to vote “No” and back “our candidate”. He denies wrongdoing and says the money is his.
In the run-up to the vote, state radio in Chisinau has run adverts appealing to people not to vote for money, and asking them to report any such offers to the authorities.
Voters line up around the block in the Romanian capital Bucharest to take part in elections in neighbouring Moldova (Alastair Jamieson)
On Thursday, law enforcement agencies said they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of people were taken to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest.
US national security spokesperson John Kirby echoed those concerns this week, saying in a statement that “Russia is working actively to undermine Moldova’s election and its European integration”.
Russia denies interfering and accuses Ms Sandu’s government of “Russophobia”.
Police chief Viorel Cernauteanu told reporters there had been a slew of voice and text messages sent from abroad in recent days, telling Moldovans to either boycott the referendum or to vote “No”.
He said the police had done everything they could to prevent any impact on the vote. “There will be some kind of impact in any case, but I think it will not influence the votes overall,” he said.
Early turnout figures were high. In the Romanian capital Bucharest, Moldovans queued around the block to cast their votes.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
05:28FOCUS © FRANCE 24Renato Usatii, a 45-year-old former mayor of Moldova's second largest city Balti, is predicted to win 6.4 percent.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT), with the national anthem playing over loudspeakers in the capital Chisinau, according to an AFP journalist.
Voting ended at 9:00 pm and partial results were expected after 10:00 pm.
Voter turnout at 3:00 pm local time was 39 percent for the presidential election, and 33 percent for a referendum asking whether the constitution should be modified to include joining the EU as an objective.
The 27-member bloc began membership talks with Chisinau this June.
Of those surveyed, 55.1 percent said they would vote "yes", while 34.5 percent said they were set on "no".
For any referendum result to be valid, participation must reach at least 33 percent, indicating that Sunday's result should be valid. Some pro-Russian parties have campaigned for a boycott.
'Hard at work'
Sandu toured the country saying that joining the EU will help improve life in one of Europe's poorest nations.
Sandu's critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation and reform the judiciary.
In his campaign, Stoianoglo -- who was fired as prosecutor by Sandu -- has called for the "restoration of justice" and vowed to wage a "balanced foreign policy".
He abstained from voting in the referendum.
Usatii has said he is the best choice, as he is "the only one who is not controlled either by the East or the West".
Fears of Russian interference are looming large.
01:09
Police said this month that millions of dollars from Russia to corrupt voters were funnelled into the country by people affiliated to Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman and former politician.
The "unprecedented" scheme could taint up to 300,000 ballots, according to police.
Convicted in absentia last year for fraud, Shor regularly brands Moldova a "police state" and the West's "obedient puppet".
"Russia is hard at work. They have never (before) put in so much money," Romanian historian Armand Gosu, who specialises in Russia and the former Soviet space, told AFP.
In addition to the suspected vote buying, hundreds of young people were found to have been trained in Russia and the Balkans to create "mass disorder" in Moldova, including in tactics to provoke law enforcement, according to police.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
No comments:
Post a Comment