Parliament adopted a law on 29 May expanding out-of-country postal voting to Moldovans residing in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea as well as providing more administrative resources to oversee the postal voting process. International postal voting was first implemented for Moldovans residing in six countries for the 2024 presidential election. The law also requires voter registration to be completed 30 days prior to the election and ballots to be received by the electoral commission 3 days before the election date. Registration was previously allowed up to 20 days before and ballots could be received 2 days before. At least one quarter of Moldova’s population, or between 1.2 million and 2 million people, is estimated to live abroad. 

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă, Parliament of Moldova, Emerging Europe

Moldovan MPs Alexander Nesterovschi and Irina Lozovan were sentenced to 12 and six years’ imprisonment (respectively) in absentia in March for their roles in laundering money for the fugitive Russia-based oligarch Ilan Shor to finance pro-Russian political politicians in Moldova. The cases mark the first convictions of sitting politicians as part of the anti-corruption investigators’ investigation into Shor’s network in the country. Both MPs are believed to have fled the country with the assistance of Russian diplomats. Another suspected participant in the scheme is the Bashkan (‘head’) of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutsul, who was detained on 28 March at Chisinau Airport while attempting to board a flight to Moscow. A Chisinau court placed Gutsul in preventive detention for an initial period of 20 days, marking the first time a sitting Bashkan has been arrested.  

 Sources: Reuters, The Moscow Times, Newsmaker, International IDEA 

Moldova held a two-round presidential election on 20 October and 3 November. The incumbent President Maia Sandu of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) led in the first round with 42.49 per cent of the vote, ahead of Alexandr Stoianoglo of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM), but short of the 50 per cent threshold required to avoid a second round. Sandu won the second round with 54.34 per cent of the votes. A referendum on enshrining European Union (EU) accession in Moldova’s constitution was also on the ballot on 20 October and passed by a narrow margin, with 50.46 per cent in favour. Voter turnout increased; turnout for the first round rose to 51.68 per cent from 48.54 per cent in 2020 and to 54.29 per cent from 52.76 per cent in the second round. 

Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation, Comisia Electorala Centrala, Moldova Matters, The Guardian, Reuters, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe 

On 25 September, the Moldovan Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) suspended access to seven, primarily Russian websites, including RIA Novosti, and the website of a movement called Nu Acum, which has advocated against Moldova’s accession to the EU. The SIS has argued that these websites constitute a threat to national security ahead of the presidential election and referendum on EU accession on 20 October. The headquarters of the Moldovan Broadcasting Agency along with three other government buildings have also recently been defaced by vandals pouring yellow paint on the buildings. Authorities have stated that the perpetrators behind the attack have received training and financing in Russia and acted in an effort to stir instability in the country prior to the elections. The upcoming presidential election and EU referendum have resulted in unusually high tension in Moldova, with negative consequences for freedom of expression and the press. 

Sources: Kyiv Independent, Reuters, 1Lurer, RadioFreeEurope