Moldovans Vote in Test of Country's pro-European Ambition
Moldova went to the polls on Sunday in a crucial parliamentary election that will help determine whether the impoverished ex-Soviet country pursues integration with Europe or returns to Russia's fold.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 am (05:00 GMT), with voters facing a choice between political parties aiming for membership in the European Union and those that back joining Russia in a customs union.
That decision comes as Russia and the European Union are locked in a tug-of-war for influence across the region and against the deadly backdrop of a pro-Russian separatist movement in the east of strongly pro-Western neighbouring Ukraine.
Moscow does not want to part ways with Moldova, a former Soviet satellite where it has troops stationed in the Russian-speaking separatist region of Transdniestr, while the European Union is keen to make Moldova a symbol of its own soft power strength.
Prime Minister Iurie Leanca who backs European integration told Moldovans as he cast his vote in the town of Yaloveny that they must ensure the country's European future.
"Our train is already on the move but has not reached the point of no return. If we stop on this European path, I can't even imagine when we will get another chance. Moldova can't develop without Europe, we must move together," Leanca said.
"Look at the experience of countries to the west of us. They made their choices and they are developing and achieving results in areas that are very important for us too," he told journalists.
The small country of 3.6 million is wedged between Ukraine and EU member Romania. Around 78 percent of Moldova's population is ethnic Romanian, while Ukrainians and Russians account for around 14 percent.
One of Europe's poorest countries, Moldova has struggled to break free from persistent political crisis.
Voters will choose members of parliament to serve a four-year term in the 101-seat legislature, with parties needing to win at least six percent of the vote to get seats under proportional representation rules. No single party is expected to gain an outright majority.
"I hope the new parliament will be more stable and able to function. That will allow us to create a pro-European government and work effectively to justify people's expectations," said parliament speaker Igor Corman as he voted in Chisinau.
In June, Chisinau signed a landmark association accord with the European Union in the face of bitter Russian opposition. It thereby gained visa-free travel for its citizens and access to a free trade zone as well as hundreds of millions of euros in funding.
Russia retaliated with an embargo on imports of many Moldovan foods.
- 'Kind of referendum' -
The presidents of Poland, Romania and Ukraine visited Moldova last week to back the pro-EU campaign, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent a message of support to Prime Minister Leanca.
"I am sure that Romania and Moldova will share a space of democracy and prosperity inside the European Union," said Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, an ethnic German recently elected on an anti-corruption ticket.
But the opposition Communist party and Party of Socialists want closer links to Russia and its ex-Soviet allies and to tear up the EU agreement.
"This agreement goes against the interests of Moldova. We will manage to get it cancelled, after which we will hold a referendum. The people themselves must decide where to integrate: into the European Union or into the Customs Union with Russia," the leader of the Party of Socialists, Igor Dodon, told Agence France Presse.
The Communist Party led by former president Vladimir Voronin is more moderate and Voronin last week ruled out a coalition with the Party of Socialists.
Opinion polls ahead of the vote showed some 40 percent of Moldovans backed pro-European parties, while around the same percentage supported opposition pro-Russian parties.
The elections are "a kind of referendum," said Arcadie Barbarosie, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy in Chisinau.
"If the pro-European parties win, Moldova's course towards European integration could become irreversible. If Moldova turns back towards the customs union (with Russia), however, it risks remaining forever in Russia's sphere of influence."
Controversially, a pro-Russian party, Patria or Motherland, was barred from the election three days before the polls over alleged illegal financing from abroad. Its leader, a Russian businessman, fled to Russia.
The Russian foreign ministry said Friday that the ban on Patria prompted "serious doubts about the democratic nature" of the polls and warned the vote could be "exceptionally dirty".
The authorities in breakaway Transdniestr -- where some 550,000 live -- do not allow residents to vote although several thousand were expected to vote in Chisinau-controlled territory.
Moldovans living abroad can vote at polling stations around the world, including 11 in Romania and five in Russia.
Polling stations close at 9:00 pm (19:00 GMT), and it is expected that 90 percent of votes will be counted by 6:00 am local time on Monday. OSCE vote monitors will give a news conference on the conduct of the election later on Monday.
Source: Agence France Presse
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