Incumbent pro-EU President Maia Sandu topped the first round of Moldova's presidential vote on Sunday, according to partial results published by the election commission, Paralel.Az reports citing AFP.

With more than 40 percent of the votes counted, Sandu had 35 percent of the votes and so is likely to face her closest competitor Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor backed by the pro-Russian Socialists, in the second round. So far, he had a higher-than-expected 30 percent.