The president of Moldova has said the country faced an ‘unprecedented’ assault on its election and EU referendum after hundreds of thousands voted against the government’s plans to join the European Union.
President Maia Sandu said that criminal groups backed by foreign forces had tried to buy up to 300,000 votes to undermine the historic polls.
‘We are waiting for the final results, and we will respond with firm decisions,’ she slammed.Â
Her damning statement came after Moldovans took to polling stations for a simultaneous presidential election and referendum on Sunday that could decide if the country moves closer to Europe or back towards Russia.Â
The government’s EU dream is now hanging in the balance after shock early results showed the ‘no’ camp leading by 54 per cent to 46 per cent with 90 per cent of votes counted by early Monday morning.
Moldova’s President Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote, in Chisinau, Moldova, on Sunday
Moldova’s presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo visits a polling station on Sunday
Moldovan citizens living in Moscow are seen queuing to vote at a polling station during the 2024 Moldovan elections
At an emergency press conference, Sadu alleged that criminal groups had deployed ‘tens of millions of euros, lies, and propaganda’ in a bid to keep Moldova ‘trapped in uncertainty and instability’.
The president said the country’s authorities had ‘clear evidence’ of ‘fraud on an unprecedented scale’.
If the vote ends in this way, it would represent a major political setback for Sandu’s pro-Western government.
In the presidential election, Sandu topped the list of candidates with 37 per cent of the vote after 90 per cent of ballots counted. Her rival, Alexandr Stolianoglo, 57, a former prosecutor-general backed by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, came second with 29 per cent.
Without a majority, Sanu would have to face Stoianoglo in a second round, which would be a humiliating blow as she was expected to win by a large margin.
Though the results may still change as more ballots are counted, particularly among the large Western-based diaspora, they are almost certainly a shock for Sandu’s team.
Polls had indicated she was polling comfortably ahead of Stolianoglo and other politicians, though they noted that many voters were still on the fence when the surveys were conducted.
The referendum will decide whether to insert a clause into the constitution defining EU accession as a goal. A strong ‘yes’ would endorse Sandu’s push to join the bloc by 2030, while a ‘no’ would be a major setback for her.
The results will set the tone for next summer’s parliamentary election, where Sandu’s party may struggle to retain its majority.
‘Our vote at the referendum will define our fate for many decades to come,’ she said after casting her ballot, urging Moldovans to vote.
Earlier polls had shown a majority support joining the EU, though five candidates told supporters to vote ‘no’ or boycott, saying the referendum had been timed to boost Sandu’s vote at the election.
Despite speculation the referendum could fail to garner the turnout threshold of a third of voters, it had passed the 42 per cent mark by 6pm, election officials said.
Stoianoglo boycotted the referendum as he voted, saying the country needed a new government and that if he wins, he would develop ties with the EU, Russia, U.S. and China.
Outside a polling station, Tamara, 78, said she voted ‘no’ and against Sandu because she was ‘completely fed up’ and wanted the country to improve living standards, not join the EU.
Vyacheslav, 60, and his wife Tamara, 63, said: ‘We voted for our children, for Europe and for our future.’
Former President of Moldova and Head of Socialist Party Igor Dodon (R) with his wife Galina (L) prepare to cast their ballots at a poling station in Chisinau
A woman cast her ballot in a polling station in Hrusevo village, Moldova
A member of an electoral commission empties a ballot box after polling stations closed in the course of Moldova’s presidential election
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. Her government has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accused Russia of plotting her overthrow, and diversified energy supply after Russia reduced gas supplies.
The foreign ministry said two polling stations in Moscow – set up for Moldovans abroad – had been ‘artificially’ overcrowded and there might be illegal attempts to bus voters in.
The vote has been overshadowed by election-meddling allegations.
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 back a candidate he would only disclose at the last minute.
An elderly woman casts her vote into a mobile ballot box in Hrusevo village, Moldova
AÂ mother holds a child as she casts her vote in Chisinau, Moldova, during a presidential election and a referendum
People place their ballot as they vote in the presidential elections and a referendum on joining the European Union
Shor, jailed in absentia for fraud and theft and under western sanctions, has offered to pay Moldovans to persuade others to vote ‘no’ and back ‘our candidate’. He denies wrongdoing.
In the run-up to the vote, state radio in Chisinau has urged people not to vote for money and asked them to report any such offers to the authorities.
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.
Russia denies interfering and accuses Sandu’s government of ‘Russophobia’.
Police chief Viorel Cernauteanu told Reuters a slew of voice and text messages from abroad in recent days had told Moldovans to either boycott the referendum or vote ‘no’.
He said the police had acted 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.’
