Presidential elections in Moldova. Sandu leads after counting 90 percent. votes

51.46 percent votes are won by pro-Western, center-right former prime minister Maia Sandu after counting 90 percent. votes – the Central Electoral Commission announced on Sunday evening.

The CEC of Moldova publishes the counting process on an ongoing basis on its website.

Sandu’s result should improve, because at the end the votes from the committees abroad are counted – in the first round it was the votes of the diaspora in the West that determined the victory of the former prime minister.

On Sunday in Moldova, the second round of presidential elections took place, in which Sandu faced the pro-Russian president Igor Dodon.

The elections were held with a high turnout (52.59 percent) and record mobilization of the diaspora – over 250,000 voted abroad. people (in the first round – about 150 thousand, which was also a record).

Due to the large number of voters in at least three committees abroad – in Montreal, London and Frankfurt, there were no ballots. In addition, in Frankfurt, the vote was temporarily interrupted due to false information about the bomb.

The CEC also informed about the activity of Moldovan citizens living in the separatist Transnistria twice as much as in the first round. More Moldovans voted in Russia as well than in the first round.

– I want to thank everyone who voted. In this campaign, we fought against lying, corruption and the further theft of the state. They failed to argue with each other – Sandu said after the vote, thanking voters “for every vote”.

In turn, Dodon said: – We are winning in the country with a big advantage.

In his opinion, voting in Moldova may outweigh the votes of the diaspora.

The former prime minister announced a fight against corruption and a rapprochement with the West. Dodon, the informal leader of the Moldovan socialists, touted his candidacy as “a choice of stability”. This politician pursued a policy oriented towards close relations with Russia. In the first round of elections on November 1, Sandu won 36.1 percent. votes, and Dodon – 32.6 percent.

Justyna Prus

–