candidate Maia Sandu gestures as she leaves the Action and
Solidarity Party office in Chisinau, early on November 16, 2020,
following her victory in the second round of the country’s
presidential election.Sergei GAPON / AFP
Pro-European challenger Maia Sandu has won the second
round of Moldova’s presidential election and is well ahead of the
pro-Russian incumbent with almost all ballots counted, according to
the central election commission.
The former prime minister was leading Sunday night with 57
percent of the votes over Igor Dodon’s 44 per cent, with the full
results expected Monday.
With 99 per cent of the votes tallied by late Sunday, according
to the Moldovan Central Election Commission website, Sandu’s
expected victory may be ill-received in Moscow.
The tiny ex-Soviet nation is under the watchful eye of Russia,
which wants polarised Moldova to remain in its sphere of influence
at a time when several Kremlin-aligned governments are rocked by
political unrest.
Celebrations broke out overnight in front of opposition
headquarters in the centre of the capital Chisinau, with supporters
chanting: “President Maia Sandu” and “a country for young
people”.
In the first round vote earlier this month, the 48-year-old
centre-right politician won a surprise victory against Dodon.
Earlier on Sunday, as polling stations closed, she said she was
“confident that the voice of the nation will be heard”.
She added that “today, you have the power to punish those who
robbed you, who reduced you to misery and forced you to leave your
home”, a clear allusion to her rival who has been targeted with
accusations of corruption.
The appeal has resonance in one of Europe’s poorest countries
where as many as 40 percent of citizens are estimated to have
travelled abroad to work.
– Political crises –
Sandu, who worked for the World Bank and briefly served as prime
minister, also called for “maximum vigilance” against possible
fraud.
Dodon, meanwhile, said he “voted for peace”, “social justice”
and “Christian values”.
“We must maintain good rel ations with the European Union and
with Russia,” he said.
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Caught off guard by the electoral setback in the first round,
Dodon urged his supporters at a rally on Friday to vote and
take to the streets after Sunday’s ballot to “protect our
victory”.
The Kremlin-backed candidate, reportedly aided by Russian
advisers, had stepped up rhetoric against Sandu.
“If we show weakness, we will lose our country,” Dodon said at
the rally.
Sandu, who heads the Party of Action and Solidarity, has
promised to wage a fight against endemic corruption in the country
of about 3.5 million wedged between Ukraine and EU member
Romania.
Moldova has been rocked by multiple political crises and a
$1-billion bank fraud scheme equivalent to nearly 15 percent of
annual economic output.
– Diaspora turns out –
Polls published in the run-up to Sunday’s vote showed the two
candidates in a tight race that could be decided by the diaspora,
which local media reported had turned up in large numbers.
More than 200,000 Moldovans living overseas had voted by the
early evening, compared to a total of 150,000 in the first
round.
In the village of Varnita, police clashed with pro-Sandu
protesters who had tried to block a road to prevent voters
travelling from the nearby breakaway Moscow-backed region of
Transnistria.
“Let it not get even worse,” said Vladimir Andriouchko, a
70-year-old who travelled from Transnistria, where Russian troops
support separatists.
“One is doing their best for Russia, the other for NATO, so
there is a bloodbath here,” he told AFP while in a long line to
vote in Varnita.
While those from Transnistria were expected to largely vote for
Dodon, five of the six voters AFP spoke to in Chisinau said they
cast their ballot for Sandu.
“Igor Dodon’s campaign focused on stability. I have the
impression that Mr Dodon wants stability when it comes to
corruption,” quipped 47-year-old computer specialist Aleksandr.
– ‘There will be protests’ –
Moldova has close historical ties with neighbouring Romania and
they share a common language. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis
said he was “happy” with Sandu’s first-round victory.
Russia, faced with multiple protest movements this year
targeting allies in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, will be watching
Sunday’s vote closely.
Last month Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Moldovans
to cast their votes for Dodon, and there were long lines at polling
booths in Moscow on Sunday.
A victory for Dodon could trigger protests from Sandu’s
supporters, especially if the result is close.
“Whether Sandu or Dodon wins, there will be protests,” said
Sandra, a 56-year-old saleswoman in Chisinau, adding she would cast
her vote for the incumbent.
-AFP