UPDATE - Moldova's vote on EU membership down to slim margins amid alleged meddling

UPDATES WITH LATEST INFORMATION AND STATEMENT BY SANDU; REVISES HEADLINE & LEDE; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Talha Ozturk and Burc Eruygur

BELGRADE, Serbia/ISTANBUL (AA) - Moldova's referendum on joining the EU goes down to the slimmest margins as preliminary results have shifted to just over 50% of voters being in favor of joining the 27-member bloc.

On Sunday, Moldovan citizens headed to the polls for a presidential election in which incumbent President Maia Sandu, seen as pro-Western, is seeking a second term in office.

Simultaneously, Moldovans also voted in a referendum in which voters were asked if they support amendments to Moldova's Constitution in order to enable the country to join the EU.

Initial results from the referendum released late Sunday showed that around 55% of the votes were against the proposal, while nearly 45% were in favor.

However, according to Moldova's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on Monday, the result of the referendum has since shifted with 50.42% having voted for the constitutional amendment, based on 99.5% of ballots counted.

Meanwhile, Sandu is set to face Alexandr Stoianoglo in a runoff for Moldova's presidency after none of the presidential candidates managed to gain more than half of the vote.

According to the CEC, Sandu won 42.31% of the vote, while Stoianoglo garnered 26.07% in the first round, based on 99.41% of ballots counted.

The voting has been marked with accusations of external influence, particularly by Sandu, who accused "criminal groups," which she claimed are working with "foreign forces hostile to our national interests," of trying to keep the country "trapped in uncertainty and instability."

"We have clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300,000 votes – a fraud of unprecedented scale. Their objective was to undermine a democratic process. Their intention is to spread fear and panic in the society," Sandu said on X.

The runoff is expected to be a close race on Nov. 3.