Moldovan President Maia Sandu has defended measures to keep members of a banned pro-Russian party from contesting local elections, saying the country needed “decisive” action to defend its fledgling democracy from Russian attacks.
She spoke on Wednesday, two days after a Moldovan court rejected an appeal by a senior member of the banned party of fugitive business magnate Ilan Shor to run for mayor of Moldova’s second largest city, Balti.
The president, who has Moldova’s bid to join the European Union, declined to comment on the judiciary, but said the courts acted too slowly.
It had taken 10 years to secure a conviction in the $1 billion fraud case in which Shor was involved, she said.
“Today (Moldova_) is under attack from criminal groups and their intermediaries from Russia. We cannot be playing chess when Russia is trying to engage us in a boxing match. We must be decisive and defend our democracy and statehood.”
Sandu has repeatedly denounced Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. She said the Wagner group tried to remove her from office.
Shor, who lives in Israel, has organised periodic demonstrations calling for the resignation of Sandu’s government and mocking the president’s drive to move closer to Europe.
He was sentenced to 15 years in jail in absentia in April on fraud charges and Moldova’s Constitutional Court declared the party bearing his name illegal.
