The Moldovan authorities must counteract any attempt by Russia to distort the electoral process in the Republic of Moldova, said the former president of the Constitutional Court Alexandru Tănase, referring to the recent warning by the U.S., Canada and the UK about the Kremlin’s attempts to influence the outcome of the presidential election. He noted that the state institutions must effectively combat the smuggling of money into the country and not allow the European path of the Republic of Moldova to be compromised, IPN reports.
Two days ago, the governments of the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland warned about the attempts by the Kremlin and its agents to influence the outcome of the autumn 2024 presidential election in the Republic of Moldova. According to a joint statement, the Kremlin supports candidates for Moldova’s presidency uses disinformation and propaganda to exacerbate societal tensions.
“Certainly, something serious is happening. For the first time, we are witnessing such a message at the beginning of the campaign. The Russian Federation in all the 30 years of Independence has openly, unforgivably meddled in the electoral process in order to be able to install a loyal government in Chisinau. But I have never witnessed such messages that are as explicit as possible. We can also consider this message in the context. The war in Ukraine caused the great powers to throw off their masks and play openly. Most likely, the intelligence services of these three states have information that allows them to conclude that something more is being prepared than a simple manipulation of public opinion, infusions of money or other tools that have been used traditionally. It is also possible that Moscow, now, in the midst of war, when it is no longer necessary to keep any appearances, could resort to the instigation of an insurrection in Chisinau,” Alexandru Tănase stated in the program “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
He noted that the Moldovan authorities should act with caution and intelligence to counteract the Kremlin’s actions to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova at an early stage. The failure of the constitutional referendum is the main goal of the disinformation campaign promoted by Russia.
“The target will be this referendum. The entire campaign will be built around this subject. President Maia Sandu will not be attacked, but the idea of the referendum will be attacked. The authorities must be as prudent as possible in this regard, and the most important tool that can be used at this moment is the control over the financial resources that come to the Republic of Moldova, which can be used to pay people who will eventually participate in these destabilization actions. Russia could also be planning a broader scenario to use the fifth column in Chisinau, including agents of influence infiltrated in a number of parties to compromise the European path of the Republic of Moldova. The authorities must counteract from the outset any action that could distort the electoral process or influence voters’ choices,” said the ex-president of the Constitutional Court.
The statement of the governments of the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland also notes that the Kremlin intends to incite protests in Moldova should a pro-Russia candidate not win.
