Europe Interim result: President ahead in Moldovan election

In the presidential election in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, the incumbent Maia Sandu is ahead as expected after a good two-thirds of the votes have been counted.

She received over 36.5 percent of the votes after around 76 percent of the ballot papers had been counted, according to the electoral commission. This is an interim result, not a projection.

Former Prosecutor General Alexandru Stoianoglo, the candidate of the traditionally strong Socialist Party of pro-Russian ex-president Igor Dodon, was in second place. According to the interim results, he received around 29% of the vote and is therefore significantly stronger than previously expected in the polls.

There is likely to be a run-off in two weeks' time. There were a total of eleven candidates for the office. Moldova is a candidate for EU accession.

A referendum was also held on whether the country's EU course should be irrevocably enshrined in the constitution as a strategic goal. After almost 80 percent of the ballot papers had been counted, the "no" votes were ahead, contrary to expectations. Accordingly, around 55% of voters voted against the constitutional amendment and around 45% in favor.

If this is confirmed as the final result, it would be a bitter setback for Sandu from the pro-Western Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) and a victory for the pro-Russian camp.

SDA