Opposition candidate Maia Sandu has won Moldova's presidential runoff with 56% of the vote, the country's central election commission says. Sandu is in favor of closer ties to the European Union.
Moldova's incumbent President Igor Dodon won just 43% of the votes after 99% of the ballots were counted, according to the initial results.
Sandu, who leads the Party of Action and Solidarity, has promised to lead a fight against endemic corruption in the country.
The country has been hit by multiple political crises and a $1 billion (€840 million) bank fraud scheme that equates to almost 15% of its annual economic output.
Dodon, who sought a new four-year mandate, says Moldova is tired of upheaval and now needs stability.
Following the first round of voting two weeks ago, the national electoral authority said Sandu received 36.1% of votes, while Dodon garnered 32.6%.
Moldova is closely linked with Romania, with the two sharing a common language. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said he was happy with Sandu's first-round victory earlier this month.
Sandu — who worked for the World Bank and was briefly Moldova's prime minister — has received messages of support from German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the former European Council President Donald Tusk.
Such support was denounced by Dodon's supporters as an attempt to destabilize Moldova. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month called for Moldovans to cast their ballots for Dodon.
