Moldova's President urges election watchdogs to counter foreign meddling
President Maia Sandu has urged international observers to closely monitor Moldova's upcoming elections to expose foreign influence on the September 28 vote. She said it is vital that the voters' will is respected.
In a meeting with representatives from international organisations monitoring the parliamentary vote, the president said illegal funding of anti-European groups was a key tool of foreign meddling in the country’s democratic process.
The country is also facing vote-buying rings, massive disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, paid protests and attempts to sow division.
Ms Sandu said state institutions were acting decisively to counter any attempts to manipulate the electoral process.
“Moldovans must decide for Moldovans,” she said.
The September 28 parliamentary elections will be overseen by national observers as well as representatives from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Network of Election Monitoring Organisations (ENEMO).
Translation by Iurie Tataru
