Moldova’s electoral commission has barred two pro-Russian parties from taking part in this weekend’s parliamentary election, a high-stakes vote overshadowed by claims of Russian interference.
On Friday, the commission excluded the Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare parties, citing allegations of illegal financing, voter bribery and undeclared foreign funds. Both parties had campaigned on closer ties with Moscow, challenging the pro-Western government ahead of Sunday’s ballot.
The decision against the Heart of Moldova followed a ruling by the Chisinau Court of Appeal that restricted the party’s activities for 12 months. The Ministry of Justice requested the ban after searches earlier this month led to accusations of money laundering, illicit financing and attempts to bribe voters.
The party rejected the charges, describing the move as a political purge.
“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. Its leader, Irina Vlah, also condemned the ruling, calling it a “political spectacle, concocted a long time ago” by the governing party.
The electoral commission said all candidates put forward by Heart of Moldova would be removed from the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), which has been one of the main challengers to the governing party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The bloc has been given 24 hours to adjust its candidate list to remain eligible.
Later the same day, the commission also barred Moldova Mare, citing vote-buying, hidden financing from abroad and its involvement in what it called a “camouflaged electoral bloc” linked to a banned party.
Sunday’s vote is seen as pivotal for Moldova, a former Soviet republic that became a European Union candidate state in 2022. The outcome will decide whether the country continues on a pro-European track or veers back towards Moscow’s sphere of influence.
Since 2021, the PAS has held a strong parliamentary majority under President Maia Sandu, but analysts warn it could lose ground as Russia-friendly blocs consolidate.
With no strong pro-European partners on the ballot, the PAS faces pressure from multiple fronts.
Russia, which has long been accused of destabilising Moldova, dismissed the allegations as “anti-Russian” and “unsubstantiated”.
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