CHISINA, 21 October - The first round of Moldova's presidential elections did not determine a winner. The decision will be made in the second round, scheduled for 3 November, between the current president, Maia Sandu, and former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo.
Meanwhile, the results of the referendum held on election day are still unclear. Data from polling stations abroad, which could decide the outcome of the referendum, is still coming in.
TASS news agency has collected the main reports on the results of the vote.
Unconvincing leadership
Sandu has 41.84 % votes while Stoianoglo has 26.35 %, according to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC) after processing 100 % protocols.
Our Party leader Renato Usatii rounds out the top three with 13.77 % votes. He is followed by former Gagauzia chief Irina Vlah and former prosecutor Victoria Furtuna, with 5.46 % and 4.53 % votes respectively, and former prime ministers Vasile Tarlev (3.24 %) and Ion Chicu (2.09 %).
The first round of the Moldovan presidential elections did not determine the winner, as none of the candidates received 50 % votes. The second round will take place on 3 November. Sandu will take part in the second round, as well as Stoianoglo, who is supported by the Moldovan opposition Socialist Party.
Results of the referendum
After processing 98.47 % protocols, 50.09 % of Moldovan citizens voted in favour of EU accession in the referendum, while 49.91 % voted against the initiative. During the night, there were more opponents of the referendum, but by the morning the vote ratio had shifted to the other side as polling stations in Western countries joined the count.
A total of 1,546,757 people went to the polling stations in Moldova and abroad, which represents 51.4 % of the people listed on the electoral rolls. Of these, 1 478 958 (49.81 %) received ballot papers to participate in the referendum, the rest abstained.
The referendum clearly failed in Moldova's Gagauz autonomy and at polling stations where residents of unrecognised Transnistria voted. While 62.56 % voted against the referendum in Transnistria, 94.84 % voted against it in Gagauzia. No polling stations were set up in Transnistria.
Observers believe the referendum was aimed at consolidating voters for a Sandu victory amid an economic crisis and opposition protests.
Polling stations in Moscow
In Russia, only two polling stations were opened at the Moldovan embassy in Moscow, allegedly for security reasons elsewhere. By contrast, during the 2020 elections, 17 polling stations have been set up in various Russian cities.
Long queues formed at polling stations throughout the day and Moldovan citizens organised pickets to demand that their voting rights be fulfilled. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), these polling stations were the most crowded during the elections.
Reaction of the authorities
Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that voters were being transported to polling stations and gifts were being handed out, which is prohibited by Moldovan law. Following the publication of the provisional results, President Maia Sandu said that "criminal groups and external forces" were interfering in the democratic process. She claimed to have evidence of attempts to bribe some 300 000 voters. Sandu said she would wait for the final results before deciding on further action.
During the announcement of the preliminary results of the elections and the results of the referendum, Sandu postponed her appearance before the press three times.
Opposition estimate
Ilan Shor, leader of the opposition Victory Bloc, said that President Maia Sandu was defeated in the referendum on Moldova's EU accession. More than 2 000 observers, including representatives of the OSCE and other organisations and foreign diplomats, monitored the elections. However, representatives of Russia and the institutions of the Commonwealth of Independent States were not invited to observe the process.
Moldova is a parliamentary republic, which means that the President needs the support of the legislature to exercise his full powers. President Sandu has this support from the Action and Solidarity Party, which controls the parliament and formed the current government. Observers warn that the outcome of this election and Sandu's gains will directly affect the 2025 parliamentary elections.
TASS/ gnews - RoZ
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