Moldova bars pro-Russia party from parliamentary elections

The pro-Russia Heart of Moldova party was barred from the election after a court ruling limited the party’s activities for one year, over allegations of voter bribery, illegal party financing and money laundering.

Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission on Friday excluded the pro-Russia party Heart of Moldova from participating in upcoming parliamentary elections this weekend.

The electoral body said in a statement that all Heart of Moldova members will be removed from the the list of candidates, giving its parent political bloc 24 hours to adjust the list to meet the representation thresholds required by electoral law.

The move to bar Heart of Moldova from the election comes after a court ruling limited the party’s activities for one year, as it has been the subject of an investigation into illegal party financing.

Heart of Moldova said the attack against it was baseless.

“This isn’t justice, but a final act of a dirty show orchestrated in advance by authorities with a single goal: to silence us,” the party said in a statement.

The election on Sunday is a highly critical test for Moldova, a former Soviet republic that has been a candidate for European Union membership since 2022.

The current ruling party, the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity, has held a strong parliamentary majority since 2021, but it now faces a block of four Russia-friendly parties, of which Heart of Moldova was a part of.

What is Heart of Moldova accused of?

Officials in Moldova have warned that Russia has spent hundreds of millions of euros to sway the outcome of the election with an alleged vote-buying operation

Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling in Moldova’s politics.

Earlier this month, Heart of Moldova party members were subject to searches that led to allegations of voter bribery, illegal party financing and money laundering.

Party leader Irina Vlah was also sanctioned by several EU member states this week on suspicion of assisting Russian interference.

Vlah has been banned from entering Latvia, Estonia and Poland, where she has been accused of “helping the Russian Federation interfere in the preparations for the parliamentary elections.”

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