Moldova EU Referendum Passes By 0.2% - President And Russia Accuse Each Other Of Manipulation

Pushed over the top by absentee ballots submitted by expatriates, Moldova's referendum calling for membership in the European Union has passed by a razor-thin margin -- 50.46% Yes to 49.54% No. 

Moldova's government blamed the unexpectedly close finish on Russian interference. However, Moldova itself has been accused of manipulating the critical expatriate vote with an uneven facilitation of absentee voting. "Moldovan authorities opened only two polling stations in Moscow for 400,000 Moldovan citizens living in Russia (instead of 17 in the past)," tweeted Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna.