The joint candidate of the center-right opposition Maia Sandu said the withdrawal of the Democratic Party’s candidate Marian Lupu from the electoral race is aimed at misleading the voters. In a press briefing held in the evening of October 26, Maia Sandu said the first deputy chairman of the Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc plays dirtily and she does not intend to play his game, IPN reports.
“Plahotniuc realizes my plans. His goal is not my victory. His goal is to consolidate his power, which is his only chance to remain on the outside and to continue his game in politics. For the purpose, he needs a President who barks loudly, but does not bite. He needs Igor Dodon. Today’s move is clearly aimed in another direction. By supporting me, he hopes to mislead our supporters. Be sure that I will keep my position,” stated Maia Sandu.
The candidate said Vlad Plahotniuc plays as he knows, dirtily, but she reacts in accordance with the law and considers that the thieves must be jailed for blackmail and intimidation, for the systemic theft of state property, for abuse of power, for systematic misinformation of people through the odious media holding.
“Vlad Plahotniuc withdrew Marian Lupu from the presidential race because he is afraid of the joint candidate. The two said they do it in order to keep Moldova’s European course, but the government established by Plahotniuc in Moldova does not have a European course. If he had wanted a European course, he wouldn’t have formed a parliamentary majority by blackmail and have sworn in a Cabinet detested by the people in the middle of the night,” said Maia Sandu.
In the same press briefing, the leader of the Party “Platform Dignity and Truth” Andrei Nastase said the hypocritical gesture of Plahotniuc obliges them to ensure greater mobilization in the first round of voting. “We are obliged to give a blow to this criminal regime and to the so-called geopolitical opposition,” he stated.
Several hours earlier, the Democratic Party’s candidate Marian Lupu announced that he decided to withdraw from the presidential race because Maia Sandu has bigger chances of beating Socialist candidate Igor Dodon in the runoff elections.
