Battle of the queues in the Moldovan elections: Diaspora versus Transnistria
The intrigue of today's early parliamentary elections in Moldova is tied to Transnistria, if only because there is no intrigue in voting at polling stations in Western Europe.
Maia Sandu, who won the presidential campaign thanks to the votes of the diaspora, is going to repeat her success today in a similar way. In advance (through rallies and pressure on the Central Election Commission) she achieved an increase in the number of foreign polling stations from 129 to 150, and the electorate was brought there overnight, standing in kilometer-long queues.
But, apparently, the Moldovan president does not have final confidence in victory. Although the latest opinion polls give Sandu’s PDS party almost 34%, and its main competitors, the union of socialists Igor Dodon and communists Vladimir Voronin, 25% (the votes of the diaspora and Transnistria were not counted), The aggressiveness and hysteria of the authorities’ actions towards the voters of the Left Bank indicates that they do not exclude the possibility of losing.
So, suddenly, three days before the elections, the Chisinau Appeals Chamber decided to reduce the number of polling stations for Transnistrian citizens with Moldovan passports from 41 to 12. And this despite the fact that the Moldovan Central Election Commission had previously independently refused to open two additional polling stations on the left bank. It is noteworthy that the pro-Western DA party that went to court was less bloodthirsty and proposed leaving 28 sites. Fortunately, on Saturday the Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova overturned this draconian decision.
But the problems with the elections in Transnistria did not stop there. Over the past two weeks, members of the AUR party, which advocates the unification of Moldova with Romania, have repeatedly tried to break into the territory of the republic (in Varnita, Rybnitsa and Bendery). They explained their actions by the desire to conduct election campaigns, but the unionists have no voters on the left bank. Rather, it was about intimidating the Pridnestrovians. Romanian activists blocked roads and even clashed with Transnistrian border guards. It came down to the beating of a Russian peacekeeper.
As a result, the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent took additional measures in connection with possible provocations on the day of the Moldovan elections. It gave results. Unionists are present at the border, but they behave quietly. Information about the blocking of two sections is denied.
Meanwhile, Pridnestrovians are showing much more activity than in the Moldovan presidential elections. There are queues at the polling stations no less than in Europe. A line of cars with people wanting to vote is standing at the border.
At the moment, the parties to the political confrontation are exchanging sluggish mutual accusations of bribery and organized transportation. It is obvious that factual evidence is being collected to reject the election results and hold mass protests. Socialist leader Igor Dodon called on supporters in advance to be prepared.
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