According to preliminary results, Moldovans have voted against EU membership.
20.10. 22:56•Updated 20.10. 23:16
According to preliminary results, Moldovans have voted against EU membership in the referendum. According to the Central Election Board, 56 percent of the no votes had been cast and 44 percent of the yes votes, when more than 40 percent of the votes had been counted.
The result is surprising, because in opinion polls the majority of respondents supported the country’s EU integration.
A pro-EU president sitting in the presidential elections held at the same time Maia Sandu is in charge. He had received about 35 percent of the vote and his pro-Russian main opponent Alexander Stoianoglo about 30 percent.
The presidential election is likely to be decided in a second round in two weeks, as neither candidate seems likely to get the required 50 percent of the vote.
On Sunday, Moldova voted in the first round of the presidential election, and at the same time a referendum on EU membership was organized.
Russia buys votes with money
Among other things, Sandu has accused Russia of trying to influence the elections in Moldova. Moldovan authorities suspect that up to a quarter of the voters had been tried to be influenced with Russian money.
The Moldovan police revealed a large-scale Russian election influence operation at the beginning of October. The police chief Viorel Cernauteanu 150,000 people are suspected of having received bank transfers from Russia. There are voters in Moldova Politico including a good million.
During the investigation, approximately 350 raids have been carried out and hundreds of people have been arrested on suspicion of election influence. According to the police, behind the influence operation was a pro-Russian businessman and former politician To Ilan Shor linked people. Shor was convicted in absentia of fraud last year. He has denied all the charges.
Updated on 20.10.2024 at 23:04 with preliminary voting results.
20.10.2024 at 23:16 supplemented with updated voting numbers.