Moldovan head of state says things are not about free, fair elections in Russia

Chisinau, 18 March /MOLDPRES/ - Asked by a MOLDPRES reporter about the electoral process in Russia, President Maia Sandu said that the ballot would not meet the democratic norms. 

„We cannot talk about free and fair elections, when the true political opponents are removed from race, some of them are even imprisoned; the others are sent away from the country, when the repressions are so big, that the people are afraid to speak, when there is nothing left from the free media. This is not democracy and this not what we want to edify in Moldova,’’ the head of state said.   

The official noted that the international organizations with powers in the field would set forth their opinion on the correctness of the ballot’s holding.

„This is not democracy, is not a conscious and free choice of the citizens. Therefore, we want to become a member state of the European Union, so as not to see in Moldova what we see in Russia. We want our citizens to be able to elect freely, without fear and consciously; for this, we will work on the consolidation of the democracy,’’ Maia Sandu said.   

According to the Central Electoral Commission from Russia, Vladimir Putin was reelected president of the Russian Federation. He picked up 87 per cent of the votes following the counting of 98 per cent of the ballot papers.