In the decisive second round, Moldovans will choose a prize marred by allegations of fraud

A man prepares to cast his vote during the second round of presidential elections in Chisinau, Moldova, November 3. (AP)

CHISINAU, Moldova, Nov. 3 (AP): Moldovans go to the polls in a crucial second-round presidential election on Sunday pitting pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu against a Russia-friendly challenger, as persistent claims of voter fraud and intimidation threaten democracy in the European Union. candidate country. In the first round of voting, which took place on October 20, Sandu won 42% of the vote, but was unable to win an absolute majority.

She will face Oleksandr Stoyanoglo, a former prosecutor general who topped the polls in the first round with nearly 26% of the vote. Polling stations opened at 7am local time (05:00 GMT) on Sunday and will close at 21:00 (19:00 GMT). The poll, published by research firm iData, points to a tight race that is tipped for Sandu’s narrow victory, an outcome that could hinge on Moldova’s large diaspora.

The office of president carries significant powers in areas such as foreign policy and national security, and has a four-year term. The Moldovan diaspora played a key role in the national referendum, also held on October 20, when a slim majority of 50.35% voted to secure Moldova’s path to EU membership. But the results of the vote, including Sunday’s vote, were marred by allegations of a large vote-buying scheme and voter intimidation.

Instead of receiving the overwhelming support Sandu had hoped for, the results in both races showed that Moldova’s judicial system is unable to adequately protect the democratic process. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recan said on Friday that people across the country were receiving “anonymous death threats via phone calls” in what he called an “extraordinary attack” to scare voters in the former Soviet republic, which has a population of about 2.5 million people. people