Sandu leads in poll in Moldova ahead of presidential election

The current President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, remains the most popular among the presidential candidates running in the October 20 elections.

The Aspen Institute, in collaboration with the Watchdog Moldova NGO, conducted a poll that evidences this.

Sandu would garner 36.1% of the vote – poll

Next Sunday’s presidential elections in Moldova would see Sandu garner 36.1% of the vote, a significant lead over all other candidates.

In second place is the nominee of the Moldovan Party of Socialists, former Prosecutor General Alexandru Stoianoglo with 10.1%, followed by populist Renato Usatîi with 7.5%. An independent candidate—the former bashkan of Gagauzia, Irina Vlah—would receive 4.1%.

The remaining candidates do not receive even 3% of support. At the same time, almost 22% of respondents have not yet made a clear decision on how to vote in the presidential elections in Moldova, so the rating of the top four candidates may still fluctuate.

Ruling PAS party enjoys 30% support

The ruling PAS party would receive the most votes (nearly 30%) in upcoming elections to the Moldovan parliament, followed by the Socialist Party (7.2%) and the pro-Russian “Pobeda” bloc, which is associated with fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor (6.9%).

The Communists and Renato Usatii’s Our Party also experienced a slight increase to more than 3% in votes. In addition, nearly 30% of survey respondents were undecided about voting.

On October 20, Moldova will hold its presidential elections. Simultaneously, the Moldovans will vote in the referendum on whether the country should join the EU.

Passive bribery of voters flagged

Moldova has officially recorded more than a hundred cases of passive bribery of voters, i.e. giving them election gifts. According to Newsmaker, the National Anti-Corruption Center has received more than a hundred protocols from the police on recorded cases of passive electoral corruption. 

“We are talking about recorded cases of a voter receiving property, services, privileges or benefits in any form that do not belong to him or her for himself or herself or another person in order to exercise or not exercise voting rights during the elections,” the agency said.

Such violations are punishable by a fine of up to 37,500 lei under Moldovan law, and some cases have already seen its application.

Earlier, the head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Moldova warned that opening accounts in Russia by Moldovan citizens to receive any pre-election payments could result in penalties ranging from fines to confiscation of property and imprisonment.