The Minister of Infrastructure of Moldova and Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu last night called on Moldovans to avoid " "thieves, fugitives and bandits" after an exiled pro-Russian business magnate promised to pay voters to vote "no". in the referendum on joining the European Union, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Spinu's call comes amid an increasingly tense campaign for the October 20 presidential election, in which pro-European President Maya Sandu is seeking a second term.
Voters will also vote in a referendum on changing the constitution to allow the former Soviet republic and one of the poorest countries in Europe to continue on its path to EU membership.
The most vehement opponent of EU membership, exiled pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor, this weekend suggested in his post on "Telegram" to pay voters the equivalent of $29 if they register with his campaign.
According to him, voters will receive greater rewards if they vote "no" in the referendum and if the results show that they live in constituencies that voted against the proposal.
Last year Shore was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for his role in the disappearance of one billion US dollars from the Moldovan banking system.
Now he lives in exile in Russia, from where he heads the electoral bloc "Pobeda", which is banned from participating in the campaign.
Andrei Spinu, who in addition to being the Minister of Infrastructure is also the head of Sandu's campaign team, said that opponents of the president's campaign to join the EU "use money to buy votes and people".
"They use propaganda to spread lies about the European Union and scare people with all kinds of stories," he wrote in "Telegram". "Let's not trust thieves, fugitives and bandits," Spinu added.
Sandu, who condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine and considers Moscow to be one of the biggest threats to Moldova, warned voters to beware of scams.
"Now the liars are trying to scare us and force us to make decisions other than the ones we want," she said. "We must not let them decide our own destiny," Sandhu added.
In recent days, buildings belonging to the state broadcaster of Moldova, the Supreme Court and two other state institutions have been covered in paint. The police believe that a group trained in Moscow to destabilize the elections is responsible for this.
Sandu is the favorite to win the presidential vote, with a recent poll giving her about 27% support. According to this survey, support for EU membership is 56% among those who decided to vote, and 34% are against it.