Presidential elections were held in Moldova on Sunday, November 1. Suddenly, following the results of the first round, ex-prime minister Maya Sandu took first place.
According to the results of the processing of 100% of the protocols from the polling stations, the incumbent President Igor Dodon received 32,61% (439 votes), and the ex-prime minister, leader of the "PAS" party Maya Sandu - 866% (36,16 votes).
They are followed by the candidate from "Our Party" Renato Usaty — with 16,9% (227 votes), the fourth place Violetta Ivanova — 938% (6,49), Andrey Nestase — 87% (542), Octavian Tsyku — 3,26% (43), Tudor Deliu — 925% (2,01), Dorin Kirtoake — 27% (170).
It is interesting that according to exit polls, the victory was for Dodon. However, the elections showed that not everything is so clear, and therefore the second round can be very "hot".
Who are Sandu and Dodon?
The ex-minister of education, ex-prime minister of the Moldovan government Maia Sandu has a pro-Western orientation, she is a supporter of the idea of uniting Moldova with Romania, sees the country as part of the European Union family and positions herself as an active fighter against corruption. Western politicians openly support Sanda. So, on September 1, the ex-chairman of the European Council and the current head of the European People's Party, Donald Tusk, published a video message in which he stated that it is "Maya Sandu who will lead Moldova to success" because she loves the country - and besides, she is "honest and competent" .
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, head of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany, also expressed her support for Sandu. In a video message on Twitter on October 13, Kramp-Karrenbauer said that Sandu "represents the future of Moldova" and that she is "the right choice for this difficult mission."
In turn, President Ihor Dodon is considered a pro-Russian politician. He considers the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and the reunification of the country to be his primary task for the new presidential term. As for foreign policy, he bets on Russia's informational, image and financial support.
Information that appeared in the mass media in October allows for this. Thus, it was reported about the secret arrival of a group of Russian political technologists in Chisinau - ostensibly to work with Igor Dodon. Investigative journalists from the non-governmental association Rise Moldova together with the Russian Dossier center distributed material about Dodon's frequent contacts with "Kremlin curators", with whom he coordinates his speeches and statements in advance. The press service of the presidential candidate called this information "fake for an election campaign in support of some candidates."
Will there be a revolution?
In the information space, there was talk that another "color" revolution is being prepared in Moldova in the event of the victory of the current president. The possibility of the "Moldavian Maidan" is discussed both within the country and abroad - allegedly, Western structures are interested in Sandu's victory. Moreover, this year, similar events in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan and the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh give enough reason to assume that such a scenario is possible.
However, Dodon himself does not believe in such a development of events.
"We do not have the protest potential that exists in Belarus, if it is not brought from abroad, then it will not appear. I do not believe in destabilization and "maidans" without the geopolitical support of an external player. Otherwise, with a strong government in the country, any attempt to destabilize the situation will lead to nothing, Dodon is sure.
