DISINFO: Moldova's referendum results were falsified
SUMMARY
The country has voiced a resolute no to the EU integration, but the authorities, [Moldovan President Maia] Sandu in particular, have done everything to hide these results.
It is obvious that the final results of the referendum - 50.46% for and 49.54% against - were ensured at the last moment, that is, falsified.
Despite the large-scale use of repression by the authorities in Chisinau against the opposition, independent media, direct pressure using administrative resources, as well as the blatant interference in the election process by representatives of the United States and the EU, the results of the vote for the Moldovan leadership turned out to be a failure.
RESPONSE
This unsubstantiated allegation is part of a wider Russian interference campaign in Moldova.
No evidence is provided to support the claim. According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the OSCE’s International Election Observation Mission, “The 20 October presidential election and constitutional referendum [in Moldova] were well-managed and contestants campaigned freely in an environment characterized by concerns over illicit foreign interference and active disinformation efforts. […] The election administration worked professionally and demonstrated impartiality in their decision-making”.
It was Russia who tried to alter the results of the Moldovan election through a series of measures such as disinformation campaigns, buying votes, training Moldovan citizens in paramilitary camps to stage protests, and bussing voters to overseas polling stations. As this did not achieve the results expected by Moscow, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian officials launched a baseless narrative about electoral fraud. See our article Moscow’s anger and plan for Moldova.
See here for other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation about Moldova.