Chisinau warns EU countries of possible Russian interference in diaspora voting
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Moldova has warned several EU countries that Russia plans to
disrupt voting by Moldovan emigrants at polling stations abroad during the
presidential elections on Sunday, according to a Nov. 3 report by Reuters
citing a source in the Moldovan government.
According to the agency’s interlocutor, who requested
anonymity, the targets for Russia could include polling stations in Italy,
France, Germany, Spain, Canada, Romania, the U.S., and the U.K. There may be
false reports of bomb threats specifically aimed at disrupting the voting
process.
“The goal is to interrupt the voting process during
evacuations (due to the bomb threat) and police checks,” the agency quoted the
Moldovan message to a European official.
Moldova has also requested that procedures and protocols be
applied that do not disrupt the voting process.
As noted by Reuters, Moldovan voters living in the West are
considered pro-European and are therefore more likely to support Maia Sandu,
who advocates for Moldova's aspirations to join the European Union.
On Nov. 3, Moldova is holding the second round of presidential elections, which features the incumbent pro-Western President Maia Sandu and former Prosecutor General of Moldova, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is backed by the pro-Russian Socialist Party.
Elections in Moldova
In the first round of elections on Oct. 20, none of the 11
presidential candidates received more than 50% of the vote, leading the Central
Election Commission to announce a second round of elections would be
organized.
On the same day, a referendum on Moldova’s euro-integration
was held. The counting of ballots showed that the number of votes in favor of
the country's euro-integration was nearly equal to the number of votes against
it. Entry into the EU was supported by 50.39% of voters, while 49.61% voted
against.
On Oct. 21, EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano stated
at a briefing in Brussels that there was unprecedented interference from Russia
and its proxies in the voting in Moldova. On Oct. 22, it became known that
Moldovan law enforcement is investigating over 400 cases of voter bribery
during the first round and the referendum.
On Nov. 1, media reported that Moldovan citizens began
receiving anonymous death threat calls allegedly from the ruling party Action
and Solidarity ahead of the second round of elections.
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