MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon has said in an interview with TASS that he had discouraged people from pouring into the streets after the presidential election in order to prevent a "Maidan" scenario backed by the West that would lead to destabilizing the country.

"Bringing people out into the streets and embarking on a course of destabilization would definitely be tantamount to following the pattern of these puppeteers from abroad, because everyone understands that my political rival during the election [race] was a pro-American candidate. We knew that they were hatching the infamous ‘Maidan’ [upheaval] and destabilization," he explained.

In his view, not bringing people into the streets, but rather challenging the election outcome in court was the right decision. "After having gone through all the judiciary levels, we offered our congratulations and got down to work," Dodon specified.