The opposition Party of Socialists in Moldova is ready to organize protests if the authorities remove ex-Prosecutor General Alexander Stoianoglo from the presidential race, the leader of the political formation Igor Dodon said on Friday.
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The presidential elections in Moldova are scheduled for October 20, President Maia Sandu has already announced her intention to run for a second term. On the same day, a referendum will be held at which citizens will be able to express their opinion on the republic’s accession to the European Union. The country’s former Prosecutor General Alexander Stoianoglo confirmed his participation in the presidential race, supported by Igor Dodon’s Socialist Party. The Socialists took the initiative to nominate Stoyanoglo as a single candidate from the opposition. However, negotiations on this issue are dragging on.
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“I want to warn the authorities: if the people’s candidate Alexander Stoianoglo is not registered or excluded from the election race, we will use the right to boycott the elections and call people to the streets,” Dodon said at a briefing.
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According to him, Maia Sandu expects to win the presidential election in the first round, however, in his opinion, she has no chance.
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“It is obvious that there will be a second round, propagandists of the PDS (the ruling Action and Solidarity party) are already talking about this, between Maia Sandu and the people’s candidate Alexandru Stoianoglo, who is supported by the socialists and I personally,” Dodon explained.
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According to a poll conducted in July by the Moldovan Institute of Marketing and Sociological Surveys (IMAS), more than half of Moldovans would prefer to see a new person as president of the country. The survey was conducted from July 8 to July 21 and involved 1,093 people. The maximum error is 3%.
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So far, 13 politicians, including Sandu, have announced their desire to run for the presidency of Moldova in the 2024 elections.
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The opposition in Moldova has been holding protests since May 2022, demanding the resignation of the government and President Maia Sandu, who is the informal leader of the ruling Action and Solidarity party (PAS). The demonstrators accuse the country’s authorities of failing to cope with the crisis in the economy and energy sector, as well as putting pressure on the opposition. As a result of the authorities’ actions, the opposition party “Shor” was banned, and representatives of other political formations, including the Socialist Party, “Revival” and “Chance”, regularly face searches and detention of their supporters.
