Moldova’s ruling pro-European party pulls ahead in pivotal election

PAS leads with 44% of vote in ballot that will decide whether country steers closer to EU or Russia

Moldova’s ruling pro-European party has pulled ahead in Sunday’s pivotal election which will decide whether the country of 2.4 million stays on its path towards EU membership or drifts back into Moscow’s orbit.

With almost two-thirds of the ballots counted, the pro-western Action and Solidarity party (PAS) led with 44% of the vote, while a Moscow-leaning alliance of Soviet-nostalgic parties headed by former president Igor Dodon had 27%.