Moldovan elections observer tells RT she was “openly threatened” at polling station in EU nation

A female observer at the Moldovan presidential elections voting place in the central Italian city of Perugia has told RT she faced threats and pressure at the hands of the local election committee that tried to “throw her out.” On Sunday, Moldovans at home and abroad were choosing a new national leader as well as were voting at a referendum on whether to include the nation’s EU aspiration into its constitution.

The observer identified as Larisa Brunescu told RT by phone that the election officials, who initially let her in then tried to make her leave the polling station once she tried to film what was going inside. “They’ve told me I should not send any videos, [record] conversations, [send] figures, nothing,” said the woman, who represented the Renaissance Party of the former prime minister Vasile Tarlev.

According to Brunescu, at some point, she was told that the documents on the basis of which she was initially accepted as an observer were “not ok” and that she should leave.

The committee claimed her documents were not “filled out properly,” Brunescu said, adding that it was not the case. The election officials “were openly threatening” her, the observer said. According to Brunescu, the committee also sought to bar her from taking any photos and insisted she could only show some figure they would give her. The officials were looking at her “like dogs,” the woman said.

The actions of the committee members “speak of some serious irregularities,” Brunescu believes. According to the observer, she counted fewer than 1,000 voters coming to the polling stations. Yet, according to the woman, the committee allegedly had “4,000 ballots.” “They can rig the ballots,” she added while stating she did not see the committee actually doing it.

Earlier on Sunday, Moldova’s opposition alliance ‘Victory’ accused the authorities of allowing massive violations at the polling stations by saying that hundreds of irregularities were reported during the first half of the day. The political bloc also stated that observers were outright banned from accessing some polling stations both at home and abroad “without any valid reasons.” Victory also accused the authorities of suppressing votes that it deems undesirable.

Incumbent Moldovan president Maia Sandu was seeking a second term, running against Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general, and Renato Usatii, a former mayor of Moldova’s second largest city, Balti, with seven other candidates also contesting.

Five out of ten candidates criticized the referendum held together with the elections by arguing that it was held only to ensure Sandu’s re-election. On Sunday evening, it was reported that most voters rejected pro-EU constitution changes.

Moldova has been actively pushing for EU and NATO membership since 2020, when Sandu, a critic of Russia and supporter of EU integration, came to power. The opposition has criticized the president that its government failed to resolve the economic and energy crisis in the country that is among the poorest in Europe.