Moldova’s electoral commission suspended the Moldova Mare (Great Moldova) party from participating in the 28 September parliamentary elections because of suspicions of illegal financing. This is the second party disfavoured by the country’s ruling regime to be suspended on the eve of the elections. The Central Electoral Commission said Moldova Mare used illegal sources of funding and foreign funds, as reported by police, security and intelligence services.
The election commission found that the party used unrecorded financial resources and may have distributed money to voters to influence the outcome of the vote. Authorities also suspected that the party was acting as a successor to the previously banned Shor party, founded by fugitive businessman Ilan Shor, who lives in Moscow.
Moldova Mare party leader and former prosecutor Victoria Furtune called the CEC decision biased and announced her intention to appeal it, Moldpress news agency reported. Furtune is on the EU sanctions list for the support given to her party by Ilan Shor.
Another pro-Russian party, Heart of Moldova, part of the “patriotic bloc” led by former president, socialist Igor Dodon, was suspended earlier this week.
The parliamentary elections, to be held on 28 September, are seen as a key moment for the future of Moldova, which is a candidate country for EU membership. 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.