CHISINAU - Half of Moldovans voted “yes” in the referendum on Oct 21 regarding the country’s EU aspirations, early results showed, putting the small nation tugged between East and West on a path towards joining the single market despite pressure from Russia.

       At 3am on Oct 21 with 97.66 per cent of the vote counted, 50 per cent of Moldovans voted “yes”, according to results given on Moldova’s Central Election Commission’s website.

       The final result was still in the balance, however. Hours earlier, partial results had shown 57 per cent unwilling to commit to joining the EU.

       Analysts said ballots from the largely pro-EU diaspora were counted towards the end, giving the “yes” campaign a last-moment push.

       While far from a major success, the results work in favour of the incumbent pro-EU president Maia Sandu, who was running in the elections on Oct 20 to keep her post. Early on Oct 21, she had 41.91 per cent of the vote with 97.7 per cent of the vote counted.

       The referendum and the presidential vote are seen as a test of the deeply divided nation’s willingness to keep close ties with Russia or to embark on the potentially lengthy process of joining the European Union.

       Ms Sandu’s main rival in the presidential election, former prosecutor general Alexandr Stoianoglo, had 26.32 per cent of the vote, setting the stage for a Nov 3 run-off in the poor former Soviet south-east European nation.

       The vote goes to a run-off if no candidate clears the 50 per cent mark.

       In a statement to Moldovans, Ms Sandu said late on Oct 20 that there was “clear evidence” that criminal groups working together with foreign forces hostile to Moldova’s interests sought to buy off 300,000 votes, something she called “fraud of unprecedented scale”.

       “Their objective was to undermine a democratic process. Their intention was to spread fear and panic in society... We are waiting for the final results, and we will respond with firm decisions,” she said.

       The run-up to the vote was overshadowed by a slew of allegations of election meddling by fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor who lives in Russia. Moscow has denied interfering, while Mr Shor denies wrongdoing.

       Earlier in October, Moldovan police accused Mr Shor, who was jailed in absentia for fraud and theft, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote “no” and support “our candidate” at the elections.

       Mr Shor has openly offered on social media to pay Moldovans to convince others to vote in a certain way and said that is a legitimate use of money that he earned.

       In the early hours of Oct 21, he said Moldovans had voted against the referendum.

       “Today I congratulate you, you lost the battle,” he added, addressing Ms Sandu simply as Maia.

       Ahead of the vote, the Moldovan authorities took down online resources they said hosted disinformation, announced they had uncovered a programme in Russia to train Moldovans to stage mass unrest and opened criminal cases against allies of Mr Shor. REUTERS