World News – CA – Moldova heading for second round of presidential elections as pro-EU candidate

Moldova will hold a second round of the presidential election after neither the outgoing pro-Russian Igor Dodon nor his pro-Western opponent, Maia Sandu, failed to win in the first round on November 1

With almost all ballots counted on November 2, data from the Central Election Commission showed Sandu winning 36% against Dodon’s 327 percent
A candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to avoid the second round of November 15

Sandu’s lead came as a surprise as exit polls had Dodon in mind
In 2016, Dodon beat Sandu in the second round by less than 5% in an election marred by allegations of fraud

With a population of around 35 million, Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and is deeply divided between those who support closer ties with Russia and those who advocate ties with the European Union and, in particular , neighboring Romania
Moscow-backed breakaway region of Transnistria has been de facto independent since a separatist war in the 1990s
Former World Bank economist and prime minister Sandu campaigned against corruption and called for closer ties with the European Union
If elected, she promised to get more financial support from Brussels
Dodon says he wants to reach settlement next year for Transnistria region
Dodon ran largely on a platform calling for « stability » and promoted his track record in securing loans and other economic favors from Moscow.
He has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in which more than 55,000 Moldovans have been infected and more than 1,300 have died

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Moldova, Igor Dodon, Maia Sandu, Russia, US Presidential Election, 2020