Russia will try to influence elections in Moldova, warns President Maia Sandu
The Russian Federation will try again to interfere in the elections in the Republic of Moldova, and the stakes would be the installation of a Kremlin-loyal leadership in Chisinau. The head of state said in a show on Jurnal TV that such a change involves major security risks for both our country and Ukraine.
"We see what great efforts the Kremlin is making to influence the election results in the Republic of Moldova, we saw last year this unprecedented interference and this year the Kremlin will try hard to influence the election results in Moldova and the stake is to change the leadership of the country to people who can control them. Right now the Kremlin's interest is Ukraine and what the Kremlin will do if it comes to control power in Moldova will use our country against Ukraine."
In this context, Maia Sandu urged the citizens to realize the importance of the electoral moment and to defend the sovereignty of the country through a free and responsible vote.
"For our sake, for the sake of the security of our people first of all we have to take care that this does not happen, but also that the situation in Ukraine does not further complicate, we have this moral duty to remain on the right side of things, to remain a friendly country to Ukraine."
Asked whether there is not a risk that the phenomenon of electoral corruption could be repeated in this year's elections, the moldovan president said that the authorities have recently made progress in combating vote buying - laws have been amended and mechanisms have been put in place to penalize those who try to fraud the elections. However, she acknowledged that these measures do not guarantee the complete elimination of the phenomenon.
"We cannot be completely sure that the institutions will identify each case individually. We must all make efforts to stop this shameful phenomenon," Maia Sandu emphasized.
Also, the head of state warns about what is happening in the Gagauz autonomy, where, according to her, the group led by Ilan Shor is trying to seize all local power.
"I see that the Shor group wants to transform the Gagauz autonomy into the Shor autonomy and it is a very damaging phenomenon for the people living in the autonomy. I hope that the healthy forces in the autonomy will succeed, on the one hand, in explaining the risks to the people, especially since certain things are already visible, the promises that were made have not been fulfilled."
Asked whether similar actions are taking place in the Transnistrian region, the president replied that, although there may be attempts, a more reserved and cautious attitude towards such initiatives is observed in Tiraspol.
We recall that President Maia Sandu delivered a speech today in the plenary session, before the deputies approved the date of the parliamentary elections. According to experts, her speech confirms the seriousness of the situation in the Republic of Moldova on the eve of the elections, characterized by foreign interference, attempts at electoral corruption and deviation from the European path.
