Moldova’s EU referendum remains in balance as President Sandu condemns ‘attack’ on democracy

CNN
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Moldova’s crucial referendum on joining the European Union is too close, partial results showed on Monday, as President Maia Sandu condemned an “unprecedented attack” on the country’s democracy.

While just over 1.4% of ballots remain to be counted, 50.2% had voted ‘yes’ in the referendum, according to the country’s Central Election Commission. The narrow margin would be a blow to Sandu, who had hoped for a clear endorsement of the pro-EU trajectory she charted during her first presidential term.

Sandu, who presented the vote as a choice for the former Soviet country between pursuing its burgeoning European future or remaining within the Kremlin’s sphere of influence, also failed to secure enough votes to win the country’s presidential election, which was held at the same time. day were held, to win outright. A second round will take place on November 3.

In an unusually strong statement issued late Sunday night, Sandu accused foreign groups of trying to undermine Moldova’s democratic process and using “the most shameful means to keep our nation trapped in uncertainty and instability.”

Sandu said Moldovan authorities had “clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300,000 votes – a fraud of unprecedented proportions.”

CNN last week reported on the efforts of a Kremlin-linked network, led by exiled Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, to buy votes in Moldova with the aim of influencing the results of the EU referendum.

In a video posted to his Telegram account last month, Shor had said he would pay voters the equivalent of $28 to register for his campaign and more if they voted against the referendum.

Partial results also put Sandu in first place in the presidential race with 42.1% of the vote, ahead of her closest challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo – a former attorney general who ran for the pro-Russian Party of Socialists – with 26, 3%.

The two will now face each other in the second round. If other pro-Russian parties and voters throw their support behind Stoianoglo, the November 3 runoff could be extremely tight.