Russia seeks proof of voting manipulation
In Moldova, pro-West factions managed to clinch victory in the elections by a narrow margin. The newly elected President, Maia Sandu, alleged widespread electoral manipulation by criminal organizations, which Moscow perceived as a targeted attack.
Russian authorities have demanded evidence from President Sandu to substantiate her claims of foreign interference in the elections. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, asserted, "If she believes she didn't secure enough votes because of some criminal syndicates, she ought to present concrete proof."
Moldova held its first round of presidential elections on Sunday, with Sandu emerging as the winner. She will be up against Alexandru Stoianoglo, the former General Prosecutor from the pro-Russian ex-President Igor Dodon's party, in a runoff scheduled for November 3.
Simultaneously, a referendum was conducted to consider joining the EU. With 99.41% of the votes accounted for, 50.39% of the participants voted in favor of amending the constitution to prioritize a pro-European policy.
Initially, the "no" votes appeared to have a slight lead during the count. Sandu blamed this anomaly on an "unprecedented assault on freedom and democracy in our nation." She claimed that around 300,000 votes were purchased with millions of dollars by criminal groups in cahoots with foreign powers, but she failed to provide further details.
Unusual surge
The resurgence of pro-European forces has sparked concerns in the Kremlin. "The remarkably unusual surge in votes for Sandu and those supporting a union with the EU is hard to justify," Peskov lamented in Russian media. "Any observer who is even slightly familiar with political dynamics can recognize these anomalies in the unexpected increase of these votes."
Russia has a rich history of electoral manipulation: an independent Russian organization, Golos, reported unprecedented violations in the recent Russian presidential election held in March. In this poll, Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin chief, secured 87.3% of the votes for his fifth term - a record high in a Russian presidential election.
Peskov also accused Sandu's government of running an unfair campaign, alleging that the pro-Russian opposition was obstructed. Despite the bans and persecution of pro-Russian forces, many Moldovans did not support Sandu's policies, Peskov said, highlighting the issue.
Divided nation
According to Moldova's WatchDog political institute, Moscow expended over 100 million USD (92 million EUR) on political interference in Moldova this year alone. Russian troops are also stationed in the separatist region of Transnistria. The Kremlin vehemently denies all allegations of electoral interference in Moldova.
Moldova shares borders with Ukraine and Romania. Since Russia's initiation of conflict against Ukraine in February 2022, many Moldovans have expressed fears of a potential Russian invasion of their country.
The Russian authorities have requested evidence from The President of the Council, Maia Sandu, to prove her allegations of foreign interference in the elections. Amidst these claims, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, questioned the unexplained surge in votes for Sandu and pro-European forces, suggesting potential electoral manipulation.
