In the presidential elections in Moldova, none of the candidates apparently won more than 50 percent of the vote. The country will probably face the second round on November 3.
Photo: TASR/AP, Vadim Ghirda
Moldovan President Maia Sandu votes at a polling station in Chisinau during the presidential election and referendum on Moldova’s EU membership on October 20, 2024.
According to the preliminary results, the current pro-European president Maia Sandu – after counting 14 percent of the votes cast – received 34 percent of the votes, while the strongest opponent Alexander Stoianoglo from the pro-Russian Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova received 30 percent. This was reported by the Reuters agency based on the announcement of the election commission.
In the referendum on the constitutional enshrining of EU accession as the country’s goal, according to preliminary results after counting less than a quarter of the votes, approximately 57 percent of voters voted against and approximately 42 percent in favor, Reuters added.
By 4:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. CET), 1.1 million voters, or 39 percent of eligible voters, had cast their ballots in the presidential election, DPA reported, citing local media. In 2020, only 215,000 voters came to the first round of the presidential election. Voting ended at 8:00 p.m.
Moldovan politics is influenced by society’s divisiveness regarding the country’s direction. Sanduová, who defeated the then pro-Russian president Igor Dodon in the 2020 elections, promotes the pro-European orientation and integration of Moldova into the EU. Under her leadership, Moldova formally started accession negotiations with the EU in June this year.
According to the president, the referendum on anchoring EU accession as the country’s goal was to prevent a possible change in the state’s pro-European direction in the event of a change in power. In order for the results of the referendum to be valid, the participation of at least a third of the people listed on the electoral rolls is required.
Chisinau has repeatedly complained about hybrid warfare, interference in local elections and extensive disinformation campaigns by Moscow. Moldovan authorities said this week they had uncovered a program that sent hundreds of people to Russia to undergo training in civil unrest. Russia denies interference.
Source: spravy.pravda.sk
