EGN NEWS DESK
Sandu was denied an outright majority within the first spherical of the presidential election two weeks in the past, and a simultaneous referendum on enshrining EU membership into the structure was handed by a razor-thin margin.
Authorities have accused the Kremlin of meddling within the votes, paying tens of millions of {dollars} to unusual individuals and orchestrating a marketing campaign of propaganda and disinformation designed to undermine the nation’s EU candidacy. Ultimately, these voting from overseas, together with in Europe and the U.S., swung the referendum in favor of the pro-EU facet.
However, in a press release issued whereas polling stations have been nonetheless open on Sunday, Sandu’s nationwide safety adviser, Stanislav Secrieru, mentioned “huge interference” had been detected at abroad polling stations, with constitution flights laid on to take Moldovans residing in Russia to forged ballots in close by nations like Belarus, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
“Ongoing coordinated cyberattacks are concentrating on the connectivity of our nationwide voter report techniques, disrupting hyperlinks between polling stations domestically and overseas,” he mentioned.
Secrieru additionally reported bomb threats had been phoned into polling stations in Germany and the United Kingdom, whereas these casting ballots on the embassy in Moscow had been provided a free meal at a close-by restaurant.
However, in line with Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, an all-time turnout report for diasporans had been hit early on Sunday night, with greater than 1 / 4 of one million individuals going to vote “regardless of faux bomb alerts at a number of polling stations in Europe (doubtless perpetrated by (professional)Russian parts).”
