Moldovans vote for president, EU path amid claims of Russian meddling

01:47

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‘Free and safe’

The turnout was close to 50 percent for the referendum asking whether to modify the constitution to include joining the EU as an objective, with Sandu’s camp saying that it was an underestimate because of obsolete voter lists.

A turnout of more than 33 percent was needed for the referendum result to be valid.

Voter turnout for the presidential elections stood at more than 51 percent.

“I have come to cast my vote for prosperity, peace and wellbeing in our country,” said Olga Cernega, a 60-year-old economist in the capital Chisinau.

Sandu, 52, a former World Bank economist and Moldova’s first woman president, had been the clear favourite in the race, with surveys also predicting a “yes” victory in the referendum.

“This election will determine our fate for many years,” Sandu said when she voted.

The “will of the Moldovan people” should be heard, “not that of others, not dirty money”, she added.

An hour from Chisinau in the town of Varnita, a polling booth was set up specifically for inhabitants of the breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria.

05:28

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FOCUS © FRANCE 24

Nicolai, 33, an IT specialist, who declined to give his full name for fear of repercussions in Transnistria, said he had voted “yes” in the referendum and for Sandu as president.

“I want a life in a free and safe European country,” he said.

The 27-member EU began membership talks with Chisinau in June.

Sandu’s critics say she has not done enough to fight inflation in one of Europe’s poorest countries or to reform the judiciary.

In his campaign, Stoianoglo — who was fired as prosecutor by Sandu — called for the “restoration of justice” and vowed to wage a “balanced foreign policy”.

The 57-year-old abstained from voting in the referendum.

In Chisinau, voter Ghenadie, who declined to give his last name, said he was worried by what he saw as the country’s “western” drift and thought the government was “making the situation worse” economically.

‘Unprecedented’ vote-buying scheme

Fears of Russian interference have been looming large.

Washington issued a fresh warning this week about suspected Russian interference, while the EU passed new sanctions on several Moldovans.

Moscow has “categorically” rejected accusations of meddling.

Police made hundreds of arrests in recent weeks after discovering an “unprecedented” vote-buying scheme that could taint up to a quarter of the ballots cast in the country of 2.6 million.

01:09

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Police said millions of dollars from Russia aiming to corrupt voters were funnelled into the country by people affiliated to Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman and former politician.

Convicted in absentia last year for fraud, Shor regularly brands Moldova a “police state” and the West’s “obedient puppet”.

In addition to the suspected vote buying, hundreds of young people were found to have been trained in Russia and the Balkans to create “mass disorder” in Moldova, such as using tactics to provoke law enforcement, according to police.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Source link : https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20241020-moldovans-vote-in-presidential-election-referendum-on-joining-eu

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Publish date : 2024-10-20 07:02:00

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