Moldova's EU referendum goes to wire after Sandu decries vote meddling

CHISINAU, Moldova — 

A knife-edge bulk of 50.17% voted "yes" successful Moldova's pivotal referendum connected joining the European Union, astir last results showed connected Monday, aft President Maia Sandu said Sunday's duplicate votes had been marred by "unprecedented" extracurricular interference.

The choky decorativeness - with less than 1.5% of the ballots inactive to beryllium counted - is acold from a resounding endorsement of the pro-EU way that Sandu has pursued implicit 4 years astatine the helm of the tiny ex-Soviet republic tugged betwixt Russia and the West.

A statesmanlike election, which took spot simultaneously, handed Sandu 42% of the ballot portion her main rival, erstwhile prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo won 26%, mounting up a tightly fought run-off betwixt the 2 connected Nov. 3.

The votes, which took spot aft a slew of allegations of predetermination meddling, were seen arsenic a trial of the southeast European nation's committedness to articulation the European Union and flight Moscow's orbit for good.

The choky referendum effect puts Sandu successful a weaker presumption going into the 2nd circular since she has championed EU integration.

Moldova began the agelong process of ceremonial accession talks successful June and nether Sandu has aimed to articulation by 2030. Ties with Moscow person deteriorated arsenic Sandu condemned the Kremlin's penetration of Ukraine and diversified vigor proviso distant from Russia.

Stoianoglo has said that, if helium comes to power, helium would make a "balanced" overseas argumentation involving ties with the EU, Russia, United States and China. He boycotted Sunday's referendum, calling it a ruse to boost Sandu's haul astatine the election.

'Clear evidence'

In the aboriginal hours of Monday, Sandu addressed Moldovan citizens, saying determination was "clear evidence" that transgression groups moving unneurotic with "foreign forces hostile to our nationalist interests" had sought to bargain disconnected 300,000 votes.

She said this amounted to "fraud of unprecedented scale".

"Criminal groups... person attacked our state with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda, utilizing the astir disgraceful means to support our citizens and our federation trapped successful uncertainty and instability," she said.

While inactive waiting for the last results, she said, Moldova would "respond with steadfast decisions," without elaborating.

In the run-up to the vote, authorities made repeated statements alleging concerted attempts to meddle successful the ballot by fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor, who lives successful Russia.

Russia, which accuses Sandu's authorities of "Russophobia," denied interfering, portion Shor denies wrongdoing.

The constabulary accused Shor, who was sentenced to jailhouse successful absentia for fraud and a relation successful the theft of $1 billion, of trying to wage disconnected a web of astatine slightest 130,000 voters to ballot "no" and enactment "our candidate" astatine the election.

Shor has openly offered connected societal media to wage Moldovans to person others to ballot successful a definite mode and said that was a morganatic usage of wealth that helium earned.

In the aboriginal hours of Monday, helium declared Moldovans had voted against the referendum.

"Today I congratulate you; you mislaid the battle," helium added, addressing Sandu simply arsenic Maia.

Ahead of the vote, authorities took down online resources they said hosted disinformation, announced they had uncovered a programme successful Russia to bid Moldovans to signifier wide unrest and opened transgression cases against allies of Shor.

As the aboriginal results came successful precocious connected Sunday, immoderate 57% of Moldovans initially appeared to person voted "no" successful the referendum. As much ballots were counted, the "yes" ballot gradually rose, overtaking "no" aboriginal connected Monday morning.

Political expert Valeriu Pasha said the "yes" ballot had edged up lone due to the fact that of unusually precocious elector turnout among the Moldovan diaspora surviving abroad, who mostly enactment EU integration.

"With specified elections, successful which dozens of (percentage points) tin beryllium bought, it volition beryllium precise hard for america going forward. But we indispensable larn lessons and larn to combat this phenomenon," helium said.