Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

It appears from press reports that the Communists will be taking control of Moldova after winning 61 of the 101 seats in the Parliament. The final votes, however, are believed to be finalised on Wednesday. The Lib dem poster campaign ‘Stop Communism’ that we saw plastered on street walls in Chisinau recently seem a little ineffective in hindsight, but given that there are three liberal parties in Moldova, this may not come as a surprise to the people of Moldova. The website for Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty states that the Communists are ‘poised to set a record for Communist parties in the post Soviet era’- winning three consecutive elections.

Voronin, the former Prime Minister is expected to stand down after two terms in office, but its clear that he will still be very influential within the party. We talked to people in Moldova who are fearful that the drive towards European integration will be hindered  for as long as Veronin is in such a position of power in Moldova, and who say that despite his pro European rhetoric on occasions, that he is still very much a close ally of Russia.

The article suggests that the Communists did not adhere to OSCE election rules, and it appears that the other parties are to lodge a complaint about the actions of the Communists during the elections. When we were in Moldova recently as part of an Assembly delegation, we were informed that many of those who oppose the Communists are young people who have left the country to find jobs, and are hard to track down to vote. That, coupled with the fact that they can only vote in Embassy buildings does not make the elections very accessible to those wanting to vote abroad.

There is more information on the election and the future of Moldova on the BBC news website here, which sets out some of the issues that we were informed of while in Moldova- the lack of a free press, corruption, the impact of the Russian relationship with Trans- Dniester, and the weak economy. 

It is unclear what will happen next. Reports show that Veronin has no intention of forming coalitions with opposition parties, and given that there were protests yesterday in Chisinau (reportedly around 100, 000 attended) to voice their opposition to the Communist victory, and with the Liberal Democrats threatening to call for more public protests against the result there is a much more to unfold as part of this election yet… ..In the last hour alone, the Associated Press has reported that the Moldovan parliament and the presidential office have been occupied, and protestors have set fire to furniture. An Associated Press reporter saw the windows smashed on two floors of the presidential office, and more than 30 people have been injured according to the BBC. It reports that students initiated the protests, and they are demanding repeat elections. I met a few of the student groups of political parties while I was out there via the New Democratic Institute, and many were frustrated at the lack of transparency in the political process. I will keep an eye on how events progress….