Moldova election: Sandu wins runoff; Dodon concedes, calls for calm
Preliminary results from Moldova's presidential runoff election suggest that opposition candidate Maia Sandu has emerged the winner, defeating incumbent President Igor Dodon.
Based on the figures released by the central election commission, almost 100% of ballots have been counted, with Sandu winning 57.74% of the vote. Dodon bagged 42.26% of the total.
In the first round of voting two weeks ago, Sandu had received 36.1% of the vote as against 32.6% for Dodon.
The final results will be announced in five days.
In his first reaction to the vote results, the pro-Russian incumbent said he would concede defeat if local courts decide that there have been no violations in the voting process.
“If the courts confirm that everything is OK, then we will put a full stop here,” Dodon said Monday, while urging his supporters to remain calm.
“Preliminary results indicate that my opponent Maia Sandu is the winner, and I want to preliminary congratulate her,” Dodon said, adding, “I call for calm and peace, absolutely no disturbances or protests, we must not allow any destabilization of the country.”
The impoverished Eastern Europe nation, wedged between Ukraine and EU member Romania with a population of only 3.5 million people, is divided between two groups of supporters -- those backing closer ties with Brussels, against those favoring closer relations with Moscow.
US-educated ex-World Bank economist, Sandu, has vowed to gain more financial support from Brussels if elected.
Sandu, 48, leads the liberal pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity established in 2016.
She has promised to lead a crusade against corruption in the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wasted no time in congratulating Sandu after she was announced the winner of the second round.
"I expect that your work as head of state will facilitate the constructive development of relations between our countries," Putin said in a statement on the Kremlin website on Monday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that Russia was hoping to establish a working relationship with Moldova's new president.
Prior to the election, some people raised concerns about the possibility of post-election unrest in Moldova similar to the situation in Belarus, where protesters have been holding rallies after Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election in a landslide victory back in August.
The opposition and Western countries alleged voter fraud after Lukashenko won the vote to become president for a 6th term.
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