Elections in Moldova: The Last Battle

31.10.2016

After counting more than 99% of the ballots, the Moldovan Central Election Committee has reported that none of the candidates received enough votes (50%) to win the first round. The second round is set to take place on November 13th.

The leaders

Continuing on to the second round of presidential elections will be the leader of the Party of Socialists, Igor Dodon, who gained 48.26% of the vote (678,839 votes) and his opponent, the head of the pro-European party "Action and Solidarity,” Maia Sandu, with 38.42% of the vote (540,432 votes). Dodon is a nationally-oriented politician who intends to defend the interests of Moldova. Sandhu is a typical representative of the neo-liberal elite, a graduate of the American University and a supporter of European integration, entry into NATO, and external control.

The third place factor

In the second round of presidential elections, an important role will be played by the third place candidate. This is the leader of the "Our Party”, Dmitry Chubashenko, supported by 6.01% of the population. The chances of the presidential candidate supported by this politician will improve significantly. On the eve of the first round of elections, Chubashenko said he would be ready to support Dodon.

Forecast

The nature of the results of the first round of voting indicates severe administrative pressure on the count. The first time, Dodon received more than 52-53% of the vote, but as counting was done, this figure decreased. It is possible that the current pro-Western government is not interested in the victory of Dodon and is putting pressure on the Central Election Commission in order to delay his loss until the second round. If Chubashenko’s supporters will support Dodon, then Sandu has no technical chance of winning in the second round. The only possible option for the current elite in this case will be the organization of a so-called "Maidan" after the victory of Dodon in order to destabilize the country and maintain power amidst crisis.