Moldovan police announced the detention of three men in a criminal case for “preparing mass destabilisation and disorder immediately after the end of voting and during tomorrow’s protest in the capital”.
According to the police, two of the detained men are brothers, probably law enforcement officers on the left bank of the Dniester (Transnistria).
“During their detention and searches, they were found in possession of a number of items (in particular pyrotechnic and flammable materials) that were to be used to panic the crowd and create chaos,” the report said.
A few hours ago, the General Inspectorate of Police warned that, starting at midnight and throughout the day on September 29, certain groups of people intended to destabilise the situation in Chisinau, where the opposition Socialist Party has announced the organisation of protests in case the elections are cancelled.
In Moldova, where parliamentary elections were held, the polling stations have already closed, while in other countries the voting process continues until 21:00 local time. According to the country’s CEC, more than 1.59 million Moldovan citizens have now voted, which is 51.9 per cent of the total number of voters. More than 1.32 million or 47.41 per cent voted on the territory of Moldova, while the rest voted at polling stations abroad.
These elections are seen as a key moment for the future of Moldova, which is a candidate country for EU accession. The ruling pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), led by President Maia Sandu, has held a parliamentary majority since 2021. However, polls show that PAS could lose that majority as opposition parties struggle to attract voters concerned about rising prices, poverty and a slowing economy. The need to form a coalition government could complicate PAS efforts to get Moldova into the EU by 2030, analysts say.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu appealed to voters on the eve of the election to support pro-European forces, emphasising that Russia is investing heavily to bring its proxies to power. Sandu said that Moscow is spending “hundreds of millions of dollars” trying to buy the votes of Moldovan citizens. she also noted that if the pro-Russian forces win, Moldova will be cut off from Europe and could become a springboard for Russian operations in the Odessa region.
Russia says it does not interfere in the internal politics of other countries.