Moldovan president says bribery affected election, pledges run-off vote

CHISINAU, Moldova — 

Moldova's pro-European president said connected Thursday that wide bribery had affected a statesmanlike predetermination and a referendum connected joining the European Union. However, Maia Sandu vowed to property connected with a Nov. 3 runoff ballot to triumph a 2nd term, alternatively of ordering a caller election.

Sandu issued her pledge, saying it was up to the radical to find Moldova's future, aft constabulary said pro-Russian fugitive businessman Ilan Shor had channeled $39 cardinal to voters successful September and October.

Moldovan authorities person said the run for past Sunday's dual canvass was overshadowed by a monolithic Russia-linked election-meddling strategy aimed astatine defeating the pro-Europe side.

"Without the buying of votes, the result contiguous would person been different. We would person had a convincing triumph successful the statesmanlike predetermination and the referendum!" Sandu wrote connected societal media.

She said she had rejected suggestions of ordering a rerun of the ex-Soviet republic's predetermination arsenic "no 1 has the close to contradict our citizens a mass, sincere and escaped look of their will."

"Let's spell guardant to the 2nd round. We number strictly connected our radical arsenic has ever been the lawsuit erstwhile the destiny of the state was connected the line," she said. It was up to the judiciary to "wake up" and tackle the contented of bribery, she added.

Sandu came successful archetypal successful the statesmanlike predetermination but failed to unafraid 50% of votes and present faces a runoff against erstwhile prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is backed by a traditionally pro-Russian party.

Sandu has singled retired Russia arsenic 1 of the biggest threats facing Moldova and made EU integration the cornerstone of her administration.

In the referendum, a amazingly slim bulk compared with sentiment polls, 50.46% of voters, supported EU accession.

The constabulary person accused Shor of an effort to bribe 130,000 voters. He denies wrongdoing, and the Kremlin has denied interfering. It questioned the ballot count, successful which votes from Moldovans overseas pushed the "yes" ballot implicit 50%.

Moldova's constabulary chief, Viorel Cernauteanu, told a briefing connected Thursday that Shor utilized Russia's Promsvyazbank to transportation $24 cardinal successful October, successful summation to $15 cardinal channeled successful September, to wage disconnected voters.

During the campaign, Shor openly offered to wage Moldovans to transportation others to ballot "no" successful the referendum and to enactment a circumstantial candidate, who helium did not sanction publicly. He launched a bot connected the Telegram messaging level for this means.

Cernauteanu said the constabulary had blocked 97 chatbots earlier the ballot explaining to radical however to usage the Promsvyazbank banking app and get the money.

On Monday, Sandu called the run "an unfair fight" and claimed triumph successful the referendum designed to enshrine Moldova's EU way successful the constitution. She said determination was "clear evidence" that transgression groups backed by "foreign forces hostile to our nationalist interests" had aimed to bargain disconnected 300,000 votes.

Moscow has denounced the ballot arsenic not free. On Wednesday, Russian overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the United States and European Union had meddled successful the campaign.