Moldovan elections: A fight for freedom from Kremlin control
The Kremlin seeks to divert the Republic of Moldova's European trajectory, rather than supporting the socialist candidate, Alexandr Stoianoglo, in the second round of the presidential elections.
A statement to this effect, signed by the exiled Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other influential Russian citizens opposing the war in Ukraine, was published by the "Anti-War Committee of Russia" on October 28. The signatories call upon the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to defend freedom and democracy, urging them to vote for the continuation of the country’s European development path.
“We know who Putin is and what he is capable of. If he believes he can conquer another territory, he will not hesitate for a moment and will initiate a new war. He does not care about the lives of the people in Moldova, Ukraine, and even Russia. The only language that this man understands is that of force; the only power capable of protecting Moldova in the event of a military threat is Europe.”
“Do not sell Moldova’s freedom to the Kremlin; do not repeat the mistakes of the Russians, who have become disillusioned with politics and have stopped voting. Do not yield to lies, provocations, and promises of financial incentives from Moscow. Instead, you will be asked to relinquish your freedom. We, the members of the Anti-War Committee of Russia, ardently desire to see a prosperous and independent Moldova in partnership with the European Union.”
The Anti-War Committee of Russia was established in 2022 by Russian figures, including exiles, as a forum for those opposing the invasion of Ukraine.
It should be noted that in the second round, scheduled for November 3, the candidate from the Party of Action and Solidarity, Maia Sandu, will face off against the candidate supported by the Socialist Party, Alexandr Stoianoglo. In the first round of voting, Renato Usatîi, who represented the Our Party that he leads, finished in third place. He garnered 13.79% of the votes, amounting to over 213 thousand votes.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
