Moldova claims Russia plans to disrupt expatriate

3/11/2024 6:30

        Moldova has told several EU
        nations that it believes Russia will try to disrupt voting by
        Moldovan expatriates at polling stations abroad in Sunday's
        presidential election, a Moldovan government source said.
        
        Pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu faces former prosecutor
        general Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is backed by the traditionally
        pro-Russian Socialist Party, in a tense second-round standoff.
        
        The Moldovan source, who asked not to be identified, told
        Reuters that polling stations in Italy, France, Germany, Spain,
        Canada, Romania, the U.S. and Britain might be targeted by
        Moscow for disruption including by bomb hoaxes.
        
        The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately
        respond to an emailed request for comment on Saturday. Moscow
        denies interfering in Moldova's affairs.
        
        "The goal is to interrupt the voting process during the
        (bomb threat) evacuation and check by the police. We kindly ask
        to apply procedures and protocols that do not interrupt the
        voting process," a Moldovan message to a European official said,
        according to a screenshot reviewed by Reuters.
        
        A former Soviet state, Moldova became independent during the
        1991 Soviet breakup. It has alternated between pro-Western and
        pro-Russian periods since and has accelerated its westward push
        since Moscow's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022.
        
        Law enforcement agencies have alleged Russian-backed
        fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor is responsible for meddling in
        Moldova's election. He denies wrongdoing.
        
        Moldovan voters living in the West are seen as largely
        pro-European and therefore more likely to support Sandu, who has
        championed Moldova's effort to join the 27-nation European Union
        by 2030.
        
        The diaspora vote proved crucial to Sandu's team winning an
        Oct. 20 referendum affirming the country's EU aspirations. The
        referendum was held alongside the first round of the election.
        
        The source said Moscow was transporting Moldovan citizens by
        flight and bus to Azerbaijan, Belarus, Turkey and Moldova to
        vote in a bid to maximise Stoianoglo's chances.