MOLDOVA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: RUSSIA HELPS DODON

SOURCE: KREMLIN.RU

2 November 2020 MOLDOVA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: RUSSIA HELPS DODON

Pro-Western opposition leader Maia Sandu secured a surprise lead against Moldova’s current president Igor Dodon. The Kremlin-endorsed incumbent leader eventually came second. A second round is set to take place in two weeks. The country’s former prime minister is likely to win the ballot, but Russia will do everything to keep Dodon in office.

After counting over 80 percent of all ballots, Dodon took a lead with 35 percent support while Sandu had 31 percent of votes. However, things changed after adding overseas voters. Sandu had 36.1 percent, while Dodon had 32.66 percent support after the commission counted 99.8 percent of ballots. The incumbent president has close links to Russia and his socialist party is now in power in Moldova. Earlier, the Socialist Party had gotten rid of Maia Sandu, a move to break off the coalition with the country’s pro-Western