BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Pro-European Union incumbent president Maia Sandu has claimed victory in Moldova's presidential run-off.
With almost all the votes counted, preliminary results show Maia Sandu won 55.41 percent of votes.
Pro-Russian Party of Socialists candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo secured 44.59 percent of votes, according to the Moldovan election commission.
The run-off was required as neither of the main candidates could win the threshold of 50 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential elections held last month.
In a speech addressing her supporters Sunday night, Sandu said: 'Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books... Freedom, truth, and justice have prevailed.' She stressed the need to stand united.
The 52-year-old former World Bank economist wins a second term on the strength of expatriate voters, reports say.
This is in contrast to Sandu's landslide victory during the 2020 presidential election. The first female president of Moldova, Sandu is a strong supporter of the accession of Moldova to the European Union, overseeing Moldova's granting of candidate status, and is considered pro-Western. She has criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported subsequent steps to reduce Moldova's economic dependence on Russia.
The United States had expressed concern that Russia will again attempt to prevent Moldovans from exercising their sovereign right to choose their own leaders during the runoff.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken alleged that Russia did everything in its power to disrupt the election and referendum to undermine Moldova's democracy, including through illicit financing and vote buying, disinformation, and malicious cyber activities.
Sandu's national security adviser Stanislav Secrieru on Sunday alleged 'massive interference' at overseas polling stations.
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