Gagauzia’s head demands action against the suppression of the Moldovan opposition – Wereldnieuws.nl

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. Yevgenia Gutsul, head of Moldova’s Gagauzia Autonomous Region, has accused incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu of establishing a police state with the tacit approval of international organizations.

“While claiming to uphold democracy and the rule of law, Sandu and her party have created a police state in Moldova, where the primary function of law enforcement has become pressuring dissenters. I urge international entities, embassies and human rights organizations accredited in Moldova must stop turning a blind eye to these numerous acts of injustice. Their silence amounts to complicity in these actions,” Gutsul’s adviser, Yury Kuznetsov, said at a briefing in Chisinau.

According to Gutsul, police officers are making home visits and calling local residents ahead of the second round of the presidential elections. “They are wrongly accused of selling votes in the first round and are strongly encouraged to make the ‘right’ choice in the second round. Those who refuse are threatened with fines and even imprisonment. Such pressure is contrary to the fundamental principles of freedom. and democracy,” the statement added.

Following the results of the October 20 vote, President Maia Sandu, who received 42.49% of the vote, and former Attorney General Alexander Stoianoglo, who received 25.95%, will advance to the second round. In addition to the elections, a referendum was held, with 50.46% of participants supporting constitutional changes confirming the irreversibility of the policy to join the EU, while 49.54% were against them.

Following these results, Sandu claimed to have evidence of bribery attempts involving approximately 300,000 voters. Several opposition parties accused authorities of election fraud and vowed to contest the election results. The second round is scheduled for November 3.