Maia Sandu elected President of Moldova / Article / LSM.lv

The pro-European Maia Sandu has won the Moldovan presidential election. She has promised to fight widespread corruption and promote Moldova’s rapprochement with the European Union.

As four years ago, Moldovan voters had to make a similar choice: either to support former President Igor Dodon and his advocacy of stability and the rapprochement with Russia, or to vote for the former World Bank economist, pro-European Sand, who opposes the European Union. .

Sandu’s rather unexpected victory in the first round of voting suggested that the country was facing serious changes, as other like-minded candidates and their voters were ready to unite around the pro-European candidates.

In addition, Dodon’s promised stability and favorable loans from Russia increasingly remind us that Moldova is still the poorest country in Europe and that change is needed.

And the election results confirmed this choice. According to official results, 57.6 percent of voters voted for Sand and 42.4 percent for Dodon. Immediately after the vote, addressing his supporters, Sandu said yesterday that the election had shown that the people had the capacity to influence the country’s future.

“Today is your birthday. Today, all power is in your hands. Today you have the opportunity to punish all those who lied to you, who robbed you, who made you poorer and who made you leave your homes, ”said Sandu.

It must be said that the distribution of votes for both candidates is very interesting, because in Moldova the distribution of votes at the national level is very similar – Sandu won 51, Dodon – 49 percent. In the capital, Chisinau, this distribution is already much higher – 59.7 to 40.3 percent in favor of Sand. But the popularity of the newly elected president in the diaspora vote is indisputable – 93 percent of Moldovans living abroad voted for him. In addition, if in the first round of elections about 150 thousand people living abroad voted, then in the second round – already 260 thousand.

Political leaders in many neighboring countries have already congratulated Sand on the victory, but former Moldovan President Dodon has not. It is possible that such an election result could lead to new protests.

On Monday morning, the first to congratulate Sanda on his election was Klaus Iohannis, President of neighboring Romania. He also emphasized that with his vote, Moldovans had confirmed their desire to continue the democratic process towards progress. Iohannis has promised Romania’s support in modernizing and democratizing Moldova, thus bringing it closer to the European Union. Iohann has been followed by several other foreign leaders, but only the mayor of Chisinau, Ions Cebans, has greeted the presidents from the rival candidate’s camp so far, wishing Sandu good luck.

Past President Dodon himself had not yet admitted his defeat in the morning. Even before the election, there were speculations that regardless of the winner, new protests were possible in the country.

CONTEXT

Moldova, 15 November the second round of presidential elections took place, in which the former pro – Russian head of state Igor Dodon and pro – European opposition candidate Maia Sandu competed.

In the first round of electionsSandu, a 48-year-old pro-European opposition candidate, won with 36% of the vote, despite polls predicting pro-Russian President Dodon’s first place in the polls.

Dodons 2016. year came to power, the desire to overcome the pro – Western mood of Sand.

–