Two weeks after the victory of the “yes” in the EU referendum in Moldova, pro-European president Maia Sandu is on track to win the second round of presidential elections marked by accusations of Russian interference.
After counting 95% of the ballotsthe 52-year-old candidate received 51.6% of the votes, against 48.3% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian socialists, according to the results published by the Election Commission. If initially Stoianoglo was in the lead, in the evening with the counting of the votes the trend was reversed. Maia Sandu thanked “all those who believe in democracy”, addressing her supporters gathered in a charged atmosphere at her electoral campaign headquarters in the capital Chisinau. His rival had called shortly before “for calm, whatever the final result”.
As in Georgia, another former Soviet republic, Russia has been accused of interfering in the electoral process, charges flatly rejected by the Kremlin. Throughout the day, authorities reported “provocations and attempts at destabilization.”
