The huge protests continue for a third day, loud enough I could hear them two kilometers away at my house. From here:

Two of the Chisinau protests on January 16 were organized by pro-Russian parties, while the third was held by the Dignity and Truth (DA) anticorruption civic group.

The protests came after President Nicolae Timofti on January 15 nominated Technology Minister Pavel Filip as the country’s next prime minister. Early indications are that Filip will be able to secure a majority of votes in parliament.

Russian state TV is running regular reports on the situation as well, with clips of Igor Dodon speaking to bumper crowds. Dodon is the leader of the Socialist Party, and ran for office in November 2014 with photos of him being embraced by Vladimir Putin. Dodon is the unabashed leader of the pro-Russia faction in Moldovan politics.

If the parliament fails to confirm Filip (or someone else) by January 29, elections will be held, and it’s likely that Dodon’s Socialists will be in the pole position.

I’ll definitely be staying tuned to developments as they happen.