Moldova's Pro-Europeans Win Decisive Victory In Snap Polls

According to RFE/RL, Pro-Western President Maia Sandu's party has scored a clear victory in Moldova's snap parliamentary elections, a result likely to weaken Russia's influence in the country.

With nearly all ballots counted from the July 11 elections, Sandu's center-right Action and Solidarity (PAS) had just under 53 percent of the vote, while its main rival, former President Igor Dodon's Moscow-friendly Socialists and Communists (BECS) bloc, had a little more than 27 percent.

PAS appears poised to win some 63 seats -- an outright majority in the 101-seat parliament and almost double the 32 mandates projected for BECS -- a result that will help push one of Europe's poorest countries away from Moscow's sphere of influence and toward closer integration with the European Union.

The election commission said that more than percent of eligible voters cast ballots. Some 3.2 million people, including a sizeable diaspora abroad, were eligible to vote.

Earlier vote results showed that PAS won a vast majority of diaspora ballots, as expected. More that 212,000 Moldovans -- almost half of them under 40 -- voted abroad.

Partidul Sor, the party of convicted businessman Ilan Shor, was only the third party to enter parliament, with 5.75 percent of the vote. Shor was convicted of fraud and money-laundering. He denies any wrongdoing.

Parties needed to receive at least 5 percent and coalitions need 7 percent to enter parliament.

Sandu's supporters celebrated at her campaign headquarters in the capital, Chisinau.

"I hope that today will be the end of a difficult era for Moldova. I hope that today will be an end to the rule of thieves over Moldova," Sandu said in a Facebook statement.

Sandu also thanked members of the Moldovan diaspora, who turned out in large numbers at voting stations across Western Europe, and vowed to strengthen Moldova's institutions and rule of law.

"We need strong institutions that will respect and safeguard the people's free choice," she wrote.

The election commission chief said no serious violations were reported during the July 11 vote. But Dodon told reporters late on July 11 that he would "decide whether to protest the election results" after investigating possible violations.