Criticism of Moldova election

Kremlin: Hundreds of thousands were not even allowed to vote

Moldova's President Maia Sandu

(Bild: AFP)

The Kremlin has described the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova as unfair. Election winner Maia Sandu is not a legitimate head of state. Hundreds of thousands of Moldovans living in Russia were not allowed to vote.

Moldovans living in the West, such as the European Union, on the other hand, were allowed to vote. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Moldovans living abroad were the decisive factor in Sandu's victory. As reported, she received 55.3 percent of the vote, but less domestically than her challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo.

"As for Ms. Sandu - you know that in our understanding she is not the president of her country - because in the country itself the majority of the population did not vote for her, and we are talking about a very, very divided society," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu casting her vote

(Bild: AFP)

In the country itself, the majority of the population did not vote for Sandu, and we are talking about a very, very divided society.

Kreml-Sprecher Peskow zur Moldau-Wahl

Sandu accuses Russia of vote-buying
The elections were neither "democratic nor fair". The traditionally pro-Russian socialists supported Sandu's rival. Sandu had repeatedly warned of vote-buying and fraud before the vote. Voters had been deliberately transported to the Transnistria region. Peskov rejected the accusations, saying there was no evidence of this.

Moldova is divided between pro-European and pro-Russian forces (see video above). In a recent referendum, a narrow majority voted in favor of joining the EU. Transnistria seceded in an internationally unrecognized move when the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s and turned towards Russia. Russian soldiers are stationed there.