Sandu secures presidency with significant lead after 99% of votes counted
The pro-Western Moldovan President Maia Sandu has been re-elected for a second term, defeating her opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a candidate from the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, by more than 10 percentage points.
Source: European Pravda
Details: With 99.55% of the ballots counted, Sandu led in the second round with 55.26% of the vote (924,351 votes). Stoianoglo secured 44.74% (748,263 votes), resulting in a margin of over 176,000 votes in Sandu’s favour.
A total of 1,698,813 Moldovan citizens participated in the election.
As European Pravda reported, initial results showed that Stoianoglo would have won without the diaspora’s votes, with 51.19% (692,533 votes) in Moldova compared to Sandu’s 48.81% (660,226 votes).
In Chișinău, Sandu led with 57.38% and prevailed in all districts except the traditionally pro-Russian Botanica.
In the diaspora, Sandu achieved an overwhelming victory. By the morning, with 96% of the ballots counted abroad, 82.58% of voters (264,125 votes) supported Sandu, while 17.42% (55,730 votes) voted for Stoianoglo.
Background:
- The elections were accompanied by a series of incidents, including the reported "bomb threats" at four polling stations in the diaspora, which largely supported Sandu.
- Meanwhile, unknown individuals issued a bomb threat targeting a bridge used by voters travelling from Transnistria.
- Moldova’s presidential office also accused Russia of extensive interference in the second round of the election.
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