Close Menu
WTX News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • How United and City set up the worst Manchester derby ever
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: Why Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is one of my favourite PS2 era games – Reader’s Feature
    • Rob Reiner Says That ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Is Safe From His ‘Spinal Tap’ Sequelitis
    • “Epstein is rolling in his grave laughing”: Artist reveals why he photographed convicted paedophile and Donald Trump
    • Guardiola disputes Slot claim, puts Haaland ‘above’ Isak
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    WTX News
    • Live News
      • US News
      • EU News
      • UK News
      • Politics
      • COVID-19
      • Business
      • Tech zone
    • World news
      • Middle East News
        • UAE News
        • Palestine News
      • Europe
        • Italian News
        • Spanish News
      • Africa news
      • South America
      • North America
      • Asia
    • News Briefings
      • UK News Briefing
      • World News Briefing
      • Live Business News
    • Sports
      • Football News
      • Tennis
      • Women’s Football
    • MY World
      • Climate Change
      • In Review
      • Expose
      • Special Reports
        • Conscience Convoy
        • Rohingya Report
    • Entertainment
      • Insta Talk
      • Royal Family
      • Gaming News
      • TV Shows
      • Streaming
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
      • Cooking recipes
      • Luxury
      • Money Saving Expert
    • Travel
      • Culture
      • Holidays
    • Sign Up
      • Log In
    WTX News
    • Live News
    • World news
    • News Briefings
    • Sports
    • MY World
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sign Up
    Home - Europe - Moldovans to choose president in decisive runoff overshadowed by fraud and intimidation claims
    Europe Updated:November 3, 2024

    Moldovans to choose president in decisive runoff overshadowed by fraud and intimidation claims

    By David Pike4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Moldovans to choose president in decisive runoff overshadowed by fraud and intimidation claims

    Moldovans to choose president in decisive runoff overshadowed by fraud and intimidation claims

    Moldovans are casting votes in a decisive presidential runoff Sunday that pits pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu against a Russia-friendly opponent, as ongoing claims of voter fraud and intimidation threaten democracy in the European Union candidate country.

    In the first round held Oct. 20, Sandu obtained 42% of the ballot but failed to win an outright majority. She will face Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general, who outperformed polls in the first round with almost 26% of the vote. Polls opened Sunday at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and will close at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT).

    A poll released by research company iData indicates a tight race that leans toward a narrow Sandu victory, an outcome that might rely on Moldova’s large diaspora. The presidential role carries significant powers in areas such as foreign policy and national security and has a four-year term.

    Moldova’s diaspora played a key role in a nationwide referendum also held on Oct. 20, when a narrow majority of 50.35% voted in favor of securing Moldova’s path toward EU membership. But the results of the ballots including Sunday’s vote have been overshadowed by allegations of a major vote-buying scheme and voter intimidation.

    Instead of winning the overwhelming support that Sandu had hoped, the results in both races exposed Moldova’s judiciary as unable to adequately protect the democratic process.

    On Friday, Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that people throughout the country were receiving “anonymous death threats via phone calls” in what he called “an extreme attack” to scare voters in the former Soviet republic, which has a population of about 2.5 million people.

    “These acts of intimidation have only one purpose: to create panic and fear,” Recean said in a statement posted on social media. “I assure you that state institutions will ensure order and protect citizens.”

    In the wake of the two October votes, Moldovan law enforcement said that a vote-buying scheme was orchestrated by Ilan Shor, an exiled oligarch who lives in Russia and was convicted in absentia last year of fraud and money laundering. Shor denies any wrongdoing.

    Prosecutors say $39 million was paid to more than 130,000 recipients through an internationally sanctioned Russian bank to voters between September and October. Anticorruption authorities have conducted hundreds of searches and seized over $2.7 million (2.5 million euros) in cash as they attempt to crack down.

    In one case in Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova where only 5% voted in favor of the EU, a physician was detained after allegedly coercing 25 residents of a home for older adults to vote for a candidate they did not choose. Police said they obtained “conclusive evidence,” including financial transfers from the same Russian bank.

    On Saturday at a church in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, Father Vasilii told the Associated Press that he’s urged people to go and vote because it’s a “civic obligation” and that they do not name any candidates. “We use the goods the country offers us — light, gas,” he said. “Whether we like what the government does or not, we must go and vote. … The church always prays for peace.”

    On Thursday, prosecutors also raided a political party headquarters and said 12 people were suspected of paying voters to select a candidate in the presidential race. A criminal case was also opened in which 40 state agency employees were suspected of taking electoral bribes.

    Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told the AP that whatever the outcome of the second round, it “will not deflate” geopolitical tensions. “On the contrary, I expect geopolitical polarization to be amplified by the campaign for the 2025 legislative elections,” he said.

    Moldovan law enforcement needs more resources and better-trained staff working at a faster pace to tackle voter fraud, he added, to “create an environment in which anyone tempted to either buy or sell votes knows there will be clear and fast consequences.”

    A pro-Western government has been in power in Moldova since 2021, and a parliamentary election will be held in 2025. Moldova watchers warn that next year’s vote could be Moscow’s main target.

    In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was granted candidate status in June of that year, and in summer 2024, Brussels agreed to start membership negotiations. The sharp Westward shift irked Moscow and significantly soured relations with Chisinau.

    Since then, Moldovan authorities have repeatedly accused Russia of waging a vast “hybrid war,” from sprawling disinformation campaigns to protests by pro-Russia parties to vote-buying schemes that undermine countrywide elections. Russia has denied it is meddling.

    ——

    Stephen McGrath reported from Bucharest, Romania; Nicolae Dumitrache from Comrat, Moldova.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/maia-sandu-ap-moldova-russia-polls-b2640448.html

    EU politics Europe news featured Main Headlines The Independent World News
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleAdidas sign 16-year-old sprinting sensation branded ‘the next Usain Bolt’
    Next Article Rhonda Alexander: Dating app boss who ‘bullied staff to tears’ judged industry diversity and inclusion awards
    David Pike

    David Pike is an experienced news journalist with over 20 years experience as a UK News editor for WTX News and other news publications.

    Related Posts

    Prince Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine
    UK News

    Prince Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine

    South Africa’s top court says men can take wives’ last name
    World News

    South Africa’s top court says men can take wives’ last name

    Democracy is failing worldwide & worst times of from press freedom
    World News

    Democracy is failing worldwide & worst times of from press freedom

    Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in jail for attempted coup
    Brazil

    Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in jail for attempted coup

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Advertisment
    News Headlines
    Rob Reiner Says That ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Is Safe From His ‘Spinal Tap’ Sequelitis

    Rob Reiner Says That ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Is Safe From His ‘Spinal Tap’ Sequelitis

    “Epstein is rolling in his grave laughing”: Artist reveals why he photographed convicted paedophile and Donald Trump

    “Epstein is rolling in his grave laughing”: Artist reveals why he photographed convicted paedophile and Donald Trump

    Save 70% on VIP subscription
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    Advert by Sponsors
    More from WTX News
    The latest gaming news - with game reviews and tips and tricks. updated 24 hours a day.
    The latest gaming news
    Hot off the press!
    • How United and City set up the worst Manchester derby ever September 13, 2025
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: Why Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is one of my favourite PS2 era games – Reader’s Feature September 13, 2025
    • Rob Reiner Says That ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Is Safe From His ‘Spinal Tap’ Sequelitis September 13, 2025
    • “Epstein is rolling in his grave laughing”: Artist reveals why he photographed convicted paedophile and Donald Trump September 13, 2025
    • Guardiola disputes Slot claim, puts Haaland ‘above’ Isak September 13, 2025
    WTX News latest breaking news sports and travel
    Latest News and analysis - Deciphering through the BS with exclusive News Briefings
    Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram

    News

    • World News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • EU News
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • News Briefing
    • Live News

    Company

    • About WTX News
    • Register
    • Advertising
    • Work with us
    • Contact
    • Community
    • GDPR Policy
    • Privacy

    Services

    • Fitness for free
    • Insta Talk
    • How to guides
    • Climate Change
    • In Review
    • Expose
    • NEWS SUMMARY
    • Money Saving Expert

    News delivered to your inbox

    Copyright WTX News 2025

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.