<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/03/moldova-votes-president-unoff-election-as-russia-hovers>
"Moldovans are going to the polls for a second-round vote to choose between the
incumbent pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, and a Russia-friendly challenger.
Despite securing 42% of the vote in the first round, Sandu faces a tough
challenge in Sunday’s runoff against an opposition bloc led by Alexandr
Stoianoglo of the Socialist party, which aligns with Moscow.
The election in this small nation of under 3 million people in south-eastern
Europe follows a referendum in which a slim majority voted in favour of
pursuing membership of the EU.
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova has gravitated between
pro-western and pro-Russian courses. But under Sandu, a former World Bank
adviser, the impoverished country has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s
orbit amid its war in neighbouring Ukraine.
The results of the referendum and first round of the election were marred by
allegations of a Moscow-backed vote-buying scheme. Sandu and her allies have
accused Russia and its proxies of leading a large-scale campaign involving
vote-buying and misinformation to sway the election.
They accuse the fugitive Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, a vocal opponent of EU
membership, of running a destabilising campaign from Moscow.
“Moldova has faced an unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and
democracy, both today and in recent months,” Sandu told supporters in the
capital of Chișinău after the election results were announced."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
