In the Republic of Moldova, a large-scale police operation is currently underway to identify and fine voters who have received money in exchange for selling their votes.
Both President Maia Sandu and government representatives have announced that the network of Ilan Șor, a billionaire supported by Russia, managed to control over 150,000 votes.
„The police have documented dozens of cases where citizens go to the left bank of the Dniester River (Transnistria) to collect financial resources transferred through the PSB system (a fund transfer system used by the Russian Ministry of Defense to pay soldiers deployed in the region), money coming from the criminal organization Șor to influence the presidential elections and referendum in the Republic of Moldova,” states an official communication from the institution.
This is just one of the actions taken by authorities to dismantle the Șor network and limit Russia's influence on the Moldovan presidential election.
The vote for the referendum and the presidential election on October 20 represented a rare opportunity to witness the Kremlin in action, aiming to block Moldova's accession process to the European Union.
Usatîi does not support Stoianoglo
Moldovan police representatives have announced that over 39 million dollars have been distributed by the Șor group to voters to vote against the referendum.
In the presidential final, Maia Sandu entered with 42.5% of the votes, and Alexandr Stoianoglo, former chief prosecutor of Moldova, supported by the Socialist Party, entered with 26% of the votes.
Importantly, Renato Usatîi, from the Our Party, ranked third, with 14% of the votes.
Maia Sandu relies on foreign love, but has nothing to do with internal interests. I call this the Gorbachev syndrome, when you are applauded abroad, but hated at home. The Madam President cannot have any support from me and from Our Party.
Renato Usatîi, leader of Our Party
He announced in a press conference held on Monday, October 28, a week before the second round, that he allows his supporters to vote as they wish, without indicating a favorite candidate.
"I will not vote for any candidate in the second round of the presidential elections. At the same time, I do not have the right to decide on behalf of the citizens. Each citizen must take responsibility for their vote. You must decide who you will vote for or whether you will participate in the second round of the election," stated Renato Usatîi, in the press conference held at the headquarters of the party he leads.
The decision of the leader of Our Party represents a breath of fresh air for Maia Sandu, who thus becomes the favorite to win a second term as president of Moldova.
Diaspora decides
In the new circumstances, it will be challenging for Alexandr Stoianoglo to make up the 16% gap he has compared to Maia Sandu.
Without a political orientation of the votes for the third-place candidate, they will be unevenly divided between the finalists. Even if Stoianoglo will benefit from a larger share of the 14%, not all will go to him.
Thus, a situation similar to four years ago is repeated when Maia Sandu won against the incumbent president Igor Dodon with votes coming from Usatîi.
Furthermore, he ranked second in the preferences of the diaspora electorate, obtaining over 35,000 votes, while Stoianoglo received just under 20,000.
A significant part of the votes of the leader of Our Party from the diaspora may shift to Maia Sandu, thus, she could benefit from 200,000 votes from Moldovan citizens working abroad.
To protect our peace and quiet, to protect our sovereign vote, we must remain united. Please understand that any division based on language, ethnicity, geography, harms us all.
Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova
Therefore, even in a situation of equality in the polling stations in the country, the diaspora can decide a second term for Maia Sandu.
In a poll conducted by iData, an institute in Moldova, on October 22, the incumbent president emerged as the favorite for the second round against all major candidates.
Maia Sandu, call for unity
Another advantage for Maia Sandu is that the presidential final has turned into a political confrontation between "Moldovans and Russians," Romanian language and Russian language, which can help the PAS-supported candidate in the context of the war in Ukraine, but also with a smaller number of pro-Russian voters.
"Our country is experiencing days of utmost importance today. But also a very tense period. The tension in society, natural in any election, has reached maximum levels due to the fraud that occurred in the first round of elections. This has upset and alerted all of us," announced Maia Sandu, in a message calling for unity and solidarity.
Interestingly, in this campaign video clip broadcast on social networks, the president speaks first in Russian and then in Romanian, a sign that her main objective in the remaining campaign week is to convince the Russian minority to vote for her.
"I address people of all ethnicities in our country: I have respected you all these 4 years, I have taken care of the safety of all citizens, and I will continue to do so. Let us remain united to protect our country and future," Maia Sandu added.
In the situation where she manages to limit the impact of the Șor network but also gain the support of as many Usatîi voters as possible, then Stoianoglo, the Kremlin-supported candidate, has little chance of winning.
A second term for Maia Sandu, as well as the vote in the referendum, would bring the Republic of Moldova even closer to the European Union. The path to accession is long, but the most important thing is not to be blocked by Russia.