Parliamentary elections are being held in Moldova on September 28, which will elect 101 deputies with a mandate for 4 years. Earlier, Moldovan President Maia Sandu spoke about Russiaʼs intentions to intervene and influence the outcome of the vote.
This is reported by the Moldovan publication NewsMaker.
For the first time, postal voting is being introduced in the parliamentary elections in Moldova for citizens living in 10 countries, subject to prior registration.
The Central Election Commission has approved 301 polling stations abroad in 41 countries, including four special stations for processing postal votes. 12 polling stations have been opened for residents of the left bank of the Dniester.
Moldovan Ambassador to Ukraine Valeriu Chiver stated that polling stations at the embassy in Kyiv and the consulate in Odessa opened amid shelling, so this may affect voter turnout.
As of 12:06 p.m., the countryʼs Central Election Commission reports that the elections are taking place without serious incidents.
When asked about “election tourism” and whether there were any such incidents during the parliamentary elections, the country’s current Prime Minister Dorin Recan stated that “the authorities have documented several attempts to organize the travel of citizens from the left bank of the Dniester to Romania”. The official assured that “these incidents have been documented”.
"Just like on the Day of Silence, even today some election competitors are still campaigning. It is precisely such incidents that are being reported now," he added.
Later, the police were informed that voters from the Russian Federation were being organized to be transported to the Republic of Belarus. This is prohibited by law and qualifies as an attempt to illegally influence the electoral process.
Organized transportation of people to the elections was recorded in Caushany. Promo-LEX, an independent Moldovan non-governmental organization that works to protect human rights, promote democracy, and monitor elections, documented two cases of voters being brought to polling stations by car from Transnistria. According to the mission director Nicolae Panfil people came and went in groups, exercising their right to vote.
Observers added that some of them had Telegram open on their phones, where they allegedly received instructions on how to vote. In several cases, the phonesʼ cameras were turned on right during the voting.
In total, Promo-LEX reported the first violations recorded at 627 polling stations.
In 93 polling stations, voting began late — earlier or later than 07:00. At six polling stations, at least one operator was missing. At 14 polling stations, cameras were not working during preparations.
At 58 polling stations, the anthem was not played or the flag was not displayed. At eight polling stations, ballot boxes were not sealed according to the rules.
As of 08:40, observers also recorded other incidents. In three cases, election advertising was seen on or near polling stations.
There were also 8 cases where voters violated the secrecy of the vote: they took pictures of the ballot or the voting booths were positioned incorrectly. Another confirmed case was in Iasi, Romania: there, a representative of one of the candidates tried to film the entire voting process on video. Promo-LEX noted that there may be other similar cases, which are still being investigated.
In addition, a case of "black PR" was recorded in Chisinau (Vatra), and in Puhoye, Ialoveni — group voting without grounds.
Why parliamentary elections in Moldova are important
Polls show that President Maia Sanduʼs PAS party could lose its majority in parliament, creating the prospect of a difficult coalition with other forces.
PASʼs main opponents are several forces, including the nominally pro-European Alternative bloc and the pro-Russian bloc led by former President Igor Dodon.
On his social media, he accused the Moldovan authorities of illegally pressuring opposition parties. He also said that “certain Western countries” were interfering in the election campaign, sending high-ranking officials to support PAS and threatening to cut aid to Moldova if the party was defeated.
Dodon was noted for his ambiguous statements regarding the war between Ukraine and Russia. He stated that “all sides are guilty of the conflict.” When asked who owns Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions, the ex-president replied that “the consequences of the peace negotiations will make it clear where the war will stop”.
Russian interference in elections
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on July 30 that Russia is preparing unprecedented interference in the parliamentary elections in Moldova, scheduled for September.
Sandu reported that the Kremlin is investing in several political projects to get its people into the next parliament. All of these projects are coordinated from one center and are largely financed through the schemes of Ilan Shor, the leader of the pro-Russian “Shor” party, who is suspected of attempting a coup.
In particular, according to Sandu, Russia is trying to bribe voters. About €100 million is planned to be channeled through cryptocurrency alone.
Bloomberg also reported on September 22 that Russia has developed a plan to interfere in Moldovaʼs parliamentary elections, with the aim of undermining the chances of pro-European President Maia Sanduʼs Action and Solidarity Party in the September 28 elections and ultimately removing her from power.
- This is not the first time Russia has attempted to influence Moldovaʼs political system. In October 2024, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gerasimov said that Russia had invested almost €100 million in attempts to disrupt the presidential elections and the referendum on EU accession.
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