Moldova bars pro-Russia party from Sept 28 election
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Heart of Moldova leader Irina Vlah has been sanctioned by several EU member states on suspicion of assisting Russian interference in Moldova's election.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Moldova barred the pro-Russian Heart of Moldova party from the Sept 28 election due to a court ruling and illicit financing investigation.
- The party called it a "dirty show" orchestrated by pro-European authorities to silence them, following EU sanctions on its leader.
- The election's outcome impacts Moldova's EU bid, as the ruling party may lose its majority amid Russian interference claims.
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CHISINAU - Election officials in Moldova barred a pro-Russian party on Sept 26 from standing in the country’s Sept 28 parliamentary election, a move that threatens to raise tensions ahead of the high-stakes vote.
The decision by the Central Election Committee to exclude Heart of Moldova, part of the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, followed a court ruling limiting the party’s activity for one year.
The Sept 28 poll extensive Russian-backed efforts to sway the vote
Heart of Moldova, the subject of an investigation into illegal party financing, said it was facing baseless attacks by the pro-European government.
“This isn’t justice, but a final act of a dirty show orchestrated in advance by authorities with a single goal: to silence us,” it said in a statement.
Thirty-six candidates have been struck from the ballot following the decision. Party leader Irina Vlah was sanctioned by several European Union member states members this week on suspicion of assisting Russian interference.
In recent weeks, police have conducted hundreds of raids targeting illicit financing and alleged Russian-backed efforts to stoke unrest in an election campaign marred by widespread disinformation.
Polls indicate that the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) could lose its majority as the Patriotic Bloc and other opponents court voters upset with high prices and the slow pace of reforms.
Having to govern in coalition could significantly hamper the PAS’ effort to get Moldova into the EU by 2030, experts say. REUTERS
