“We have won, everyone knows it”, Dodon told a press conference overnight. Sandu said the elections had been badly organized.
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The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the election, said on Monday its overall assessment was positive, with key procedures followed.
In her first comments after the final results, Sandu said the elections were neither free nor fair and accused opponents of using “dirty methods” including the media and administrative resources, against her.
The protesters gathered in the capital’s central square, in front of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Constitutional Court, requesting the dismissal of the CEC head and the foreign minister for obstructing the constitutional right of overseas Moldovans to vote.
“Despite the marked polarization of views on Moldova’s future in society, and the vote has once again demonstrated that, the country’s citizens have shown great responsibility in the face of complex challenges facing Moldova at the current stage”, the ministry emphasized.
Protesters shouted “We need a European president!” and “Jail Dodon!” as police stood by.
The tiny landlocked ex-Soviet state of some 3 million people has strong historical and political ties with its western neighbour Romania, with more than 75% of the population speaking Romanian.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow respected the results and congratulated the victor.
Analyst Anatol Taranu of think tank Politicon said that while Dodon had 140,000 more supporters in the first round, Sandu could draw on a reserve of people who initially did not turn out to vote, particularly young people.
Dodon – who served as economy minister under a communist government between 2006 and 2009 – has called for deeper ties and boosting trade with Moscow.
Dodon has in the past criticised Moldova’s Association Agreement with the EU and called for Moldova to join Russia’s Customs Union. Russian Federation punished Moldova by placing an embargo on imports of Moldovan fruit, wine and vegetables. “For seven years, we pro-Moldovan forces have waited for this victory”. He has advocated for maintaining the visa-free regime with the European Union and for for Moldovan goods being tax-free exported to Europe.
Moldova’s constitution places most executive power in the hands of the prime minister.
Officials said voter turnout was 53.3 percent.
Moscow welcomes calls for closer cooperation with Russian Federation made by the winners of presidential elections in Bulgaria and Moldova, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“They are looking for something different to what they have had in recent years”.
The 41-year-old Dodon tapped into popular anger over the approximately $1 billion that went missing from Moldovan banks before the 2014 parliamentary elections.
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Former Romanian President Traian Basescu, who obtained Moldovan citizenship this month, voted at the Moldovan Embassy in Bucharest.
