CHISINAU (Sputnik) – The former head of Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia, Irina Vlah, on Wednesday declared her candidacy for the upcoming presidential election in the republic as an independent candidate.
On December 24, 2023, incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu announced her intention to run for a second term and also asked the country’s parliament to organize a referendum on the country’s possible accession to the European Union. Both votes will take place on October 20.
«My election program will focus exclusively on specific problems of people and their solutions. I know these problems because I am always close to the people, always with them. I know what worries people and what they expect. I am running for president to guarantee peace and restore people’s faith in the future of Moldova,» Vlah told reporters at a briefing in Chisinau.
Vlah, who also leads the Platforma Moldova movement, added that her decision to run independently had been due to the opposition’s inability to reach a consensus.
Meanwhile, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo has confirmed he will run for president with support from ex-Moldovan President Igor Dodon’s Socialist Party. Last week, the Socialists backed Stoianoglo as the opposition’s single candidate, but discussions are still ongoing.
The Moldovan opposition has been holding rallies against Sandu’s pro-EU government since May 2022, calling on the president to step down. Critics accuse the government of the impoverished eastern European country of deepening the economic and energy crises.
