CHISINAU, March 12. /TASS/. Several polling stations will be opened in Transnistria during the Russian presidential election, Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Vasnetsov said.
"A decision was made jointly with the Transnistrian administration to open several polling stations during the Russian presidential election," he said, adding that the Russian embassy in Moldova, the Central Election Commission and foreign ministry have received a lot of requests from people asking to organize voting.
"The right to vote in enshrined in the constitution and other normative acts and the major task for any diplomatic mission is to defend the legal rights and interests of its nationals," he said.
According to the Russian diplomat, around 250,000 Russians are currently living in Moldova.
During Russia’s previous presidential election in March 2018, twenty-seven polling station were organized in Moldova and twenty-four more in Transnistria.
Vasnetsov told TASS on February 8 that the Moldovan authorities had allowed to organize voting only at the Russian embassy and warned against opening polling stations in Transnistria.
Moldova’s relations with Russia became strained after Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity came to power in 2021. They further worsened in 2022 when Moscow blamed Chisinau for unfriendly actions and Moldova accused Russia of interfering into its domestic affairs. Moldova expelled several dozen Russian embassy employees and Russia took response measures.
Russia’s Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, has scheduled the presidential election for March 17, 2024. Voting will take place over three days - on March 15, 16 and 17. Thus, it will be the first three-day election for Russia’s president.