Moldovans vote for the president and for the path to the EU/ Allegations of Russian interference are increasing

2024-10-20 14:34:52, Kosova & Bota CNA

Moldovans vote for the president and for the path to the EU/ Allegations of

Moldovans are taking part in two crucial votes on Sunday that could determine whether neighboring Ukraine, a candidate for European Union membership, will continue on a pro-Western path, amid persistent accusations that Russia is trying to undermine the election process.

The current president, Maia Sandu, is the favorite to secure another term in a presidential race in which 11 candidates are competing. Voters will vote yes or no in a referendum to decide whether the country's path to the European Union will be included in the country's constitution.

Polls by the Chisinau-based WatchDog institute show that a clear majority of over 50 percent support the path to the EU.

Polling stations that opened at 7 am will remain open until 9 pm local time.

If Ms Sandu fails to win a sufficient majority on Sunday, a run-off will be held on November 3, which could pit her against candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo, a pro-Russian former prosecutor general.

The vote comes amid continued claims by Moldovan authorities that Moscow has stepped up a "hybrid warfare" campaign to destabilize the country and damage its path to the EU. The charges include funding pro-Moscow opposition groups, spreading disinformation, meddling in local elections and supporting a massive vote-buying scheme.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby echoed those concerns this week, saying in a statement that "Russia is actively working to undermine the elections in Moldova and its European integration." Moscow has repeatedly denied that it is interfering in Moldova.

"In recent months, Moscow has allocated millions of dollars to influence the presidential elections of Moldova," Mr. Kirby said. "We estimate that this money went to finance her favorite parties and spread misinformation on social media in favor of their campaigns."

In early October, Moldovan police said they had uncovered a massive vote-buying scheme organized by Ilan Shor, an exiled pro-Russian oligarch currently living in Russia, who paid 15 million euros to 130,000 individuals to damage ballot papers.

Ilan Shor, who was convicted in absentia last year for his role in stealing $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014, denied the charges, saying "the payments are legal" and referring to "freedom of expression". His populist, Russia-friendly party was declared unconstitutional last year and banned.

On Thursday, Moldovan authorities uncovered another plot in which more than 100 young Moldovans were trained in Moscow by private military groups on how to create civil unrest around the vote. Some also took part in "more advanced training in guerrilla camps" in Serbia and Bosnia, police said, and four people were detained for 30 days.

A pro-Western government has been in power in Moldova since 2021, a year after Ms Sandu won the presidential election. New parliamentary elections will be held next year.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic with a population of about 2.5 million, applied to join the EU after Russia's aggression in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and was granted candidate status that summer, along with Ukraine . Brussels agreed in June to start membership negotiations./ VOA