Moldova: President Maia Sandu accuses ‘foreign forces’ of electoral fraud

Moldova’s president has accused “criminal groups” of undermining the EU membership referendum.

The EU referendum asked voters to choose whether to write a path to the EU into the country’s constitution.

After about 95% of the votes were counted, approximately 52% voted against, while 47% voted for.

However, ballots cast among the country’s large expatriate population are still being counted.

“Criminal groups, working together with foreign forces hostile to our national interests, have bombarded our country with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda, using the most nefarious means to keep our citizens and our nation trapped in uncertainty and instability.” said President Maya Sandhu.

“We have clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300,000 votes – fraud on an unprecedented scale.

“Their aim was to undermine the democratic process.

Polls by WatchDog, a Chisinau-based think tank, show a clear majority of over 50% support for the EU path.

Voters also participated in first round of the presidential race.

If Ms Sandu fails to win an outright majority, a run-off will be held on November 3 that could pit her against Alexander Stoyanoglo, a Russia-friendly former attorney general who has around 10% of the vote.

The two votes come amid continued allegations by Moldovan authorities that Moscow has stepped up an alleged “hybrid warfare” campaign to destabilize the country and derail its path to the EU.

The charges include funding pro-Moscow opposition groups, spreading disinformation, meddling in local elections and supporting a major vote-buying scheme.

Read more:
Moldovans are divided over the EU referendum

US national security spokesman John Kirby echoed those concerns this week, saying in a statement that “Russia is actively working to undermine Moldova’s elections and its European integration.” Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling in Moldova.

“Over the past few months, Moscow has committed millions of dollars to influence the presidential election in Moldova,” Mr. Kirby said.

In early October, Moldovan law enforcement authorities said they had uncovered a large-scale vote-buying scheme organized by Ilan Shor, an exiled pro-Russian oligarch currently living in Russia, who paid €15m (£12.5m) to 130,000 persons to undermine the two ballots.

Mr Shore, who was sentenced in his absence last year to 15 years in prison for fraud and money laundering in the $1 billion (£766 million) case that disappeared from Moldovan banks in 2014, denied the charges, saying , that “the payments are legal” and cited the right to freedom of expression.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic with a population of about 2.5 million, applied to join the EU after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was granted candidate status this summer, along with Ukraine.

In June, Brussels agreed to open membership talks.