Maia Sandu returned to the lead in the presidential election on Sunday evening, with 50.9% of the votes, according to still partial results. Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian socialists, would obtain 49.1% of the vote.
The outgoing pro-European president of Moldova Maia Sandu took the lead in the second round of the presidential election, according to results published Sunday evening by the Electoral Commission after counting 93% of the ballots. The 52-year-old candidate collected 50.9% of the vote and thanked her supporters gathered at her party headquarters, compared to 49.1% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian socialists.
The outgoing head of state came well ahead of the first round on October 20 but her 57-year-old opponent was able to count on the support of several small candidates. The first woman to occupy the highest positions in 2020 in this former Soviet republic located between NATO and the Russian sphere of influence, the 52-year-old economist turned her back on Vladimir Putin after the Russian invasion of Neighboring Ukraine. During the campaign, Maia Sandu constantly warned against foreign interference “unprecedented”notably through massive vote buying which marred the referendum on the EU two weeks ago, according to Chisinau but also Brussels and Washington. The Kremlin has “categorically” rejected these «graves» allegations.
Alexandr Stoianoglo, former attorney general dismissed from his post last year, pleads for balanced relations both with the West and with Russia. He denied “have ties to the Kremlin” and any involvement “in electoral fraud”. According to his rival, he is “the man from Moscow”, “a Trojan horse through which others want to rule the country”.
Throughout the day, authorities reported “provocations and attempts at destabilization”. The police said they were investigating the alleged establishment by Russia of “organized transports” to Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey to allow voters residing on its soil to go and vote in the Moldovan consulates or embassies of these countries. . Cyberattacks and false bomb threats also targeted overseas voting operations, according to the same source.
