Maia Sandu declares victory in Moldova's presidential runoff election

Moldova's pro-EU incumbent Maia Sandu claimed victory on Sunday in a tense presidential runoff with near-complete results showing her on 54 percent of the votes against a rival backed by a pro-Russian party.

With nearly 99 percent of votes counted in the second round of the presidential election held Sunday, Sandu had 54.7 percent of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission, or CEC, compared to 45.3 percent for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general who was backed by the pro-Russia Party of Socialists.

The result will be a major relief for the pro-Western government, which strongly backed Sandu’s candidacy, and her push for closer Western ties on Moldova’s path toward the EU.

“Moldova, you are victorious! Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books. Today, you have saved Moldova! In our choice for a dignified future, no one lost,” Sandu said after claiming victory after midnight.

But she went on to claim that her country's vote had faced an “unprecedented attack" through alleged schemes including dirty money, vote-buying, and electoral interference “by hostile forces from outside the country" and criminal groups.

“You have shown that nothing can stand in the way of the people’s power when they choose to speak through their vote," she added.

Diaspora votes

When polls closed locally at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), turnout stood at more than 1.68 million people — about 54 percent of eligible voters, according to the CEC.

Moldova’s large diaspora, which cast ballots in record numbers of more than 325,000 voted, heavily in favour of Sandu in the runoff.

In the first round held Oct. 20, Sandu obtained 42 percent of the ballot but failed to win an outright majority over the second place Stoianoglo.

The presidential role carries significant powers in areas such as foreign policy and national security and has a four-year term.