REUTERS // EU denounces Russia's ''unprecedented interference'' with elections in Moldova

Chisinau, 21 October /MOLDPRES/ - The referendum in Moldova on the accession to the European Union took place against the background of an ‘’unprecedented interference’’ on behalf of Russia and its panders, a spokesman of EU has said, quoted by Reuters.

A razor-thin majority – 50.17 per cent – voted YES at the last Sunday referendum for the introduction in the Constitution of a clause due to define the accession to EU as goal, with less than 1.5 per cent of the ballot papers due to be counted.  

„This vote took place in conditions of unprecedented interference and intimidation on behalf of Russia, in order to destabilize the democratic processes in Moldova,’’ the spokesman for EU, Peter Stano, said.

Russia denies the charges of interference. The Kremlin described the votings in Moldova as ‘’non-free.’’  

Before the voting, the Moldovan authorities said that Ilan Shor had made concerted attempts to interfere with the referendum and the elections. The authorities said that they had removed the online sources which hosted misinformation and discovered a programme in Russia on Moldova’s training to take part in mass disorder.   

„This is a continuous effort on behalf of Russia and its close friends – not only in Moldova; in fact, also against our countries – and this is a long-term fight. They have no limits. We, as European Union… observe certain principles, including the laws, while Russia and its actors and panders do not observe this,’’ Stano said. 

It is worth mentioning that, according to the data unveiled by the Central Electoral Commission, the results of the referendum  on Moldova’s accession to the European Union shows that, following the counting of about 99.73 per cent of the official reports, 50.46 per cent of the citizens said YES, while 49.54 per cent opted for NO.