Moldova's pro-Russian party rejects election results, threatens protests

The Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) does not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections and is threatening protests if the Constitutional Court approves them, independent Moldovan outlet NewsMaker reported on Oct. 7.

The announcement came as the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), led by President Maia Sandu, secured a decisive victory in the Sept. 29 vote with just over 50% of the vote.

The result allows the party to maintain its majority and keep Moldova on a path toward European integration.

Vlad Batrincea, the parliamentary leader of the Moscow-friendly PSRM party, claimed that the elections were marred by "violations and the use of administrative resources," which, he said, "called into question the fairness of the vote."

"We cannot seriously talk about Moldova's future if there is no democracy or free elections in the country," he said. "Under such conditions, there will be no economy, no demographic growth — nothing. Elections must be fair, and the conditions for participation must be equal."

The opposition Patriotic Electoral Bloc, led by pro-Russian former President Igor Dodon and including the Socialist and Communist parties along with the new Future of Moldova, won 24% of the vote.

Dodon's bloc, backed by Moscow, has campaigned on reversing Moldova's EU integration.

When asked what steps his party would take if the Constitutional Court confirmed the results, Batrincea said that the PSRM would "continue to fight on international platforms, in the streets, in parliament — by all possible means and at all available levels."

The elections were held amid growing concerns about Russian interference.

In the days leading up to the vote, Sandu warned that if Moscow succeeded in exerting control over Moldova, "the consequences will be direct and dangerous for our country and for the entire region."

Ahead of election day, the Central Electoral Commission barred the Heart of Moldova and Greater Moldova parties from participating after security agencies uncovered evidence of illegal financing.

Intelligence reports also linked the Greater Moldova party to the Victory Bloc — a coalition of pro-Russian factions allegedly financed by exiled oligarch Ilan Shor.

The Constitutional Court is expected to review and validate the election results in the coming days.

Investigation: Top Russian defense industry boss tries to lift sanctions, spills own secrets instead

Key findings: * Two years ago, lawyers representing an offshore company went to court to unblock a superyacht that had been detained in a Spanish port due to its links to Sergei Chemezov, an associate of Vladimir Putin. Chemezov is believed to secretly own a number of luxury assets outside of Russia. * Court filings studied by the Kyiv Independent revealed that the yacht changed hands several times. * All three owners are believed to have served as proxies for Chemezov, part of a strategy to

The Kyiv IndependentAlisa Yurchenko