Politics
Moldova’s post-election developments: Interview with Marian Lupu
Reading Time: 8 minutesInterview with Democratic Party leader Marian Lupu: Moldovan Society Sees Only Me As President.
Interview with Democratic Party leader Marian Lupu: "Moldovan Society Sees Only Me As President".
The leader of the Moldovan Democratic Party, Marian Lupu, whom the country’s parliament twice failed to elect as president of the country, tells Gazeta.Ru about what conclusions the ruling coalition came to after this and what changes the Moldovan authorities may be in for in the nearest time.
Why did you not become the President of Moldova (two times, Lupu’s candidacy did not receive the necessary 61 votes – on 10 November and on 7 December – Gazeta.Ru)?
Marian Lupu: The only condition that the Communist Party had presented for election of the president back in August, was the re-formatting of the power coalition (today, an alliance of three liberal parties and the Democratic Party is in power in Moldova – Gazeta.Ru). "Let us form a left-centrist coalition," said the communists.
A coalition with the communists – at least for now – is impossible. Considering the existing situation within the party of communists, this would mean a concentration of all fullness of state power — as has been the case for the past 8 years — in the hands of one person, the leader of the PCRM (Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova – Gazeta.Ru), ex-President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin.
With all of the ensuing consequences, by which I understand to be his views of the development of the country, the priorities in domestic and foreign policy that are based on the search or domestic and foreign enemies, and the struggle against them. The Democratic Party, and I personally, have different views, which are based not on a search for enemies, but on a search for friends.
Although ideologically, we do have something in common. We agree on that which concerns domestic and foreign policy, the country’s neutrality, and European integration, but at the same time a strategic partnership with Russia, continued participation in the CIS, non-membership in NATO, building a harmonic society with protection of all ethnic groups living here, and on this basis – the formation and strengthening of the civil nation of Moldova. We are close to the PCRM on very many positions, although there are principle differences in the methods of implementing this policy.
It turns out that the entire problem comes down to a few people – Voronin and Tkachuk (Mark Tkachuk, one of the leaders of the Communist Party – Gazeta.Ru)?
Marian Lupu: We should not simplify this so greatly. But different voices were heard within the scope of the PCRM. There were those who were categorically opposed to voting if a left-centrist coalition was not formed. But we also heard those who said that non-election of a president means a deepening of the political and constitutional crisis. And this, in light of the deep economic and social crisis, is very bad for the country. At this stage, the line of harsh resistance won out within the PCRM, and narrow party – and not all-nationa! l – interests were taken as the cornerstone.
Therefore, according to the latest poll conducted by "Barometer of Public Opinion," over one-third of Moldovans believe that it is the communists who are to blame for continuation of the political crisis.
One of the leaders of the Communist party, Vladimir Tsurkan, announced his withdrawal from the communist faction because he did not agree with the party’s position on voting for president. Did you try to persuade him to do this even before the voting?
Marian Lupu: As yet, there is no clarity about whether he will withdraw from the faction alone, or with a group of deputies. We had certain discussions on this topic, and I cannot deny that there was such dialogue and contact. We continue to be open to dialogue with our colleagues from the Communist Party, including those from this group.
I might add that the process has begun at different levels in the country: People have begun leaving the PCRM. ! This does not mean that they are automatically coming over to the Demo cratic Party, which is also understandable. After all, people have to think. But I have repeatedly stated that the door remains open to worthy people from the PCRM. The tendency is coming not only from this side – we are feeling a big influx of people into the Democratic Party. We are growing both in ratings, and in popularity.
At least until the Fall (by law, new parliamentary elections in Moldova cannot be announced before the Summer of 2010), Vlad Filat and the speaker will be in power, as well as Acting President Mikhay Gimpu. And you have been left without any formal post – that is, with nothing. Does this suit you?
Marian Lupu: I do not take quite such a mercantile approach to this question. The party is interested in real levers of influence and power. There are minuses as well as pluses in the fact that the leader of the party does not hold a systematic post.
In the specific situation, the Democratic Party is included in the ruling allianc! e. We have a vice-premier, ministers, and representatives of the security bloc. That is, we have a sufficient set of instruments to influence the course of events within the country in the context of the foursome that rules the country today.
Will the alliance be retained now, or will it fall apart?
Marian Lupu: Questions of strengthening or disintegration of the alliance least of all depended on the election or non-election of the president. The fundamental principle is the work itself, the organization, the effectiveness of the alliance, which established an entire series of principles of domestic and foreign policy at the time of its formation.
If the alliance follows the principles of partnership, cooperation, and achieving a consensus, then it will live. But if all these mechanisms are weakened, if centrifugal tendencies are manifested and members of the alliance depart from the agreements not at the level of declarations, but by their actio! ns – then it will be different.
The Democratic Party did not ins ist that our interest consists of holding some official position. The main thing is to promote our views and values. We are interested in where the country is going and how we are emerging from the crisis. We are ready to lend a shoulder, setting aside personal ambitions.
That is, the presidential post was not a condition of creating the alliance for the Democratic Party?
Marian Lupu: We understood perfectly well that, for the government and parliament, there is a necessary number of votes (a simple majority is needed to elect the speaker and premier – Gazeta.Ru). We are not naive people, and we, of course, saw that there was a risk that we would not get the necessary eight votes (3/5 of the votes – that is 61 – are needed to elect the president).
But a mighty impulse was coming from society. It saw the leader of the Democratic Party, and no one else, as the President of Moldova.
You say that a departure from the established! priorities may split the alliance. But does it not seem to you that President Gimpu and Premier Filat are specifically violating these priorities by their statements?
Marian Lupu: I cannot say that we like their declarations and statements very much, which they expressed even before – both in the plane of NATO, and in the plane of national identity. But at the same time, I will note that I reacted immediately and effectively to these declarations, reminding colleagues that, since we have decided to be a single whole, we must strictly follow this path. I cannot say that I do not have any qualms, but there is a difference between statements and actions. For example, they spoke about studying the history of the Rumanians instead of the history of Moldova. We said that, in any country, it is the history of that country that must be taught, no matter how complex the fate of that country might have been. Only in this way will we be able to raise our children in the spirit of pat! riotism and love for our country. In practice, our schools today teach a course in integrated history, which has been coordinated with the Council of Europe. As yet, no one has issued any instructions to revise these textbooks, and this would already be specific actions.
That is if, for example, the history course is revised, you would immediately withdraw from the alliance?
Marian Lupu: We are practical people, people of action, and therefore I realize that, since we have come to agreement on a collective partnership, I do not expect that any of the component parts of the coalition would independently make such a decision. We have agreed to discuss all decisions on foreign and domestic policy at the level of the four leaders.
That is, Filat and Gimpu do not make such statements in personal discussions, but there are declarations for the voters?
Marian Lupu: I have no reason to expect that, in the nearest time, centrifugal tendencies will go into effect, or that each party will begin to promote its o! wn narrow party interests, although we cannot rule this out by 100 percent.
Your arrival to the Democratic Party raised its rating from 2 to 13 percent. If you say that there is an influx of people into the party going on today, then perhaps it is not advantageous for you to cooperate with the right-wingers. You might be able to get the votes by yourselves.
Marian Lupu: And who said that we have made the decision to go to the elections in a bloc with someone? This is a separate question, which is resolved at the level of the party buro. We have yet to hold such discussions and consultations about how we will go to the elections. We have not nailed down the specific format in which we will go to the elections.
What is your position on the system of presidential elections? Does it need to be simplified?
Marian Lupu: I follow the opinion of over 70 percent of our country’s citizens, to the effect that, considering our political crisi! s, the most optimal path would be direct presidential elections.
We are talking about constitutional reform, and this is not only a change of the technical procedure of electing the president. This would also entail other principles of the Constitution regarding the functions of the head of state, parliament and the prime minister.
Here, we must work calmly. We will have to decide which form of rule to choose – presidential, parliamentary or mixed. Constitutional reform must be developed by the next political cycle.
But we must somehow resolve the problem already by next year. Who will say that, after the parliamentary elections of 2010, we will once again not find ourselves in a situation of political stalemate?
We must find a short-term solution, so that after the next elections we do not have another crisis, which risks becoming chronic. I have repeatedly said that, if we are not able to elect a president on 7 December, we are in for hard times. It is entirely possible that there are no simple solutions in this situa! tion, and a multi-step system of decision-making will be needed.
What kind?
Marian Lupu: As a short-term measure, we must agree to constitutional amendments. The first and second rounds of the election of president in parliament would require 61 votes, and the third round would require only 52 votes.
Such a variant would only require changing the technical procedure, without touching any of the functions of the branches of power.
Today, power is in the hands of the alliance, and nothing hinders it from calmly managing the country. It turns out that the political crisis has been overcome?
Marian Lupu: There are no legal problems, and in this sense you are absolutely right. But there are also other problems. Society is unhappy. It feels that the electoral process has not been concluded. De-facto, this leads to the fact that government statutes have assumed a temporary status. Furthermore, our foreign partners may also draw the! appropriate conclusions.
Those who could have given us financial aid through loans and other forms of support of Moldova in a period of economic crisis.
But you spoke with representatives of the Russian leadership. Did they reject the idea of giving Moldova a loan?
Marian Lupu: These negotiations were conducted along the government line, and therefore I do not possess all fullness of information. As yet, there is still a question mark here.
And did you feel the support of Russia, or did Moscow back Voronin, for old time’s sake?
Marian Lupu: I felt this support. I highly appraised the correctness of Moscow. I think that our ideas about a strategic partnership with Russia, participation in the CIS, constant neutrality and inter-ethnic peace have found resonance in the Russian political elite.
A new football club has earned a leading place in the UEFA Champions League groups and starred in the headlines of worldwide football news yesterday. The Football Club Sheriff Tiraspol claimed a win with the score 2-1 against Real Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. That made Sheriff Tiraspol the leader in Group D of the Champions League, including the football club in the groups of the most important European interclub competition for the first time ever.
International media outlets called it a miracle, a shock and a historic event, while strongly emphasizing the origin of the team and the existing political conflict between the two banks of the Dniester. “Football club from a pro-Russian separatist enclave in Moldova pulls off one of the greatest upsets in Champions League history,” claimed the news portals. “Sheriff crushed Real!” they said.
Moldovans made a big fuss out of it on social media, splitting into two groups: those who praised the team and the Republic of Moldova for making history and those who declared that the football club and their merits belong to Transnistria – a problematic breakaway region that claims to be a separate country.
Both groups are right and not right at the same time, as there is a bunch of ethical, political, social and practical matters that need to be considered.
Is it Moldova?
First of all, every Moldovan either from the right or left bank of Dniester (Transnistria) is free to identify himself with this achievement or not to do so, said Vitalie Spranceana, a sociologist, blogger, journalist and urban activist. According to him, boycotting the football club for being a separatist team is wrong.
At the same time, “it’s an illusion to think that territory matters when it comes to football clubs,” Spranceana claimed. “Big teams, the ones included in the Champions League, have long lost their connection both with the countries in which they operate, and with the cities in which they appeared and to which they linked their history. […] In the age of globalized commercial football, teams, including the so-called local ones, are nothing more than global traveling commercial circuses, incidentally linked to cities, but more closely linked to all sorts of dirty, semi-dirty and cleaner cash flows.”
What is more important in this case is the consistency, not so much of citizens, as of politicians from the government who have “no right to celebrate the success of separatism,” as they represent “the national interests, not the personal or collective pleasures of certain segments of the population,” believes the political expert Dionis Cenusa. The victory of FC Sheriff encourages Transnistrian separatism, which receives validation now, he also stated.
“I don’t know how it happens that the “proud Moldovans who chose democracy”, in their enthusiasm for Sheriff Tiraspol’s victory over Real Madrid, forget the need for total and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria!” declared the journalist Vitalie Ciobanu.
Nowadays, FC Sheriff Tiraspol has no other choice than to represent Moldova internationally. For many years, the team used the Moldovan Football Federation in order to be able to participate in championships, including international ones. That is because the region remains unrecognised by the international community. However, the club’s victory is presented as that of Transnistria within the region, without any reference to the Republic of Moldova, its separatist character being applied in this case especially.
Is it a victory?
In fact, FC Sheriff Tiraspol joining the Champions League is a huge image breakthrough for the Transnistrian region, as the journalist Madalin Necsutu claimed. It is the success of the Tiraspol Club oligarchic patrons. From the practical point of view, FC Sheriff Tiraspol is a sports entity that serves its own interests and the interests of its owners, being dependent on the money invested by Tiraspol (but not only) oligarchs.
Here comes the real dilemma: the Transnistrian team, which is generously funded by money received from corruption schemes and money laundering, is waging an unequal fight with the rest of the Moldovan football clubs, the journalist also declared. The Tiraspol team is about to raise 15.6 million euro for reaching the Champions League groups and the amounts increase depending on their future performance. According to Necsutu, these money will go directly on the account of the club, not to the Moldovan Football Federation, creating an even bigger gab between FC Sheriff and other football clubs from Moldova who have much more modest financial possibilities.
“I do not see anything useful for Moldovan football, not a single Moldovan player is part of FC Sheriff Tiraspol. I do not see anything beneficial for the Moldovan Football Federation or any national team.”
Is it only about football?
FC Sheriff Tiraspol, with a total estimated value of 12.8 million euros, is controlled by Victor Gusan and Ilya Kazmala, being part of Sheriff Holding – a company that controls the trade of wholesale, retail food, fuels and medicine by having monopolies on these markets in Transnistria. The holding carries out car trading activities, but also operates in the field of construction and real estate. Gusan’s people also hold all of the main leadership offices in the breakaway region, from Parliament to the Prime Minister’s seat or the Presidency.
The football club is supported by a holding alleged of smuggling, corruption, money laundering and organised crime. Moldovan media outlets published investigations about the signals regarding the Sheriff’s holding involvement in the vote mobilization and remuneration of citizens on the left bank of the Dniester who participated in the snap parliamentary elections this summer and who were eager to vote for the pro-Russian socialist-communist bloc.
Considering the above, there is a great probability that the Republic of Moldova will still be represented by a football club that is not identified as being Moldovan, being funded from obscure money, growing in power and promoting the Transnistrian conflict in the future as well.
Photo: unknown
Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilita, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicu Popescu, pay an official visit to Brussels, between September 27-28, being invited by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell Fontelles.
Today, Prime Minister had a meeting with Charles Michel, President of the European Council. The Moldovan PM thanked the senior European official for the support of the institution in strengthening democratic processes, reforming the judiciary and state institutions, economic recovery and job creation, as well as increasing citizens’ welfare. Natalia Gavrilita expressed her confidence that the current visit laid the foundations for boosting relations between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, so that, in the next period, it would be possible to advance high-level dialogues on security, justice and energy. Officials also exchanged views on priorities for the Eastern Partnership Summit, to be held in December.
“The EU is open to continue to support the Republic of Moldova and the ambitious reform agenda it proposes. Moldova is an important and priority partner for us,” said Charles Michel.
Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita also met with Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy, expressing her gratitude for the support received through the OMNIBUS macro-financial assistance program. The two officials discussed the need to advance the recovery of money from bank fraud, to strengthen sustainable mechanisms for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova, and to standardize the customs and taxes as one of the main conditions for deepening cooperation with the EU in this field.
Additionally, Prime Minister spoke about the importance of the Eastern Partnership and the Deep Free Trade Agreement, noting that the Government’s policies are aimed at developing an economic model aligned with the European economic model, focused on digitalization, energy efficiency and the green economy.
A common press release of the Moldovan Prime Minister with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles, took place today, where the agenda of Moldova’s reforms and the main priorities to focus on in the coming months were presented: judiciary reform; fighting COVID-19 pandemic; promoting economic recovery and conditions for growth and job creation; strengthening state institutions and resilience of the country.
“I am here to relaunch the dialogue between my country and the European Union. Our partnership is strong, but I believe there is room for even deeper cooperation and stronger political, economic and sectoral ties. I am convinced that this partnership is the key to the prosperity of our country and I hope that we will continue to strengthen cooperation.”
The Moldovan delegation met Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice. Tomorrow, there are scheduled common meetings with Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport and Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.
Prime Minister will also attend a public event, along with Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.
Photo: gov.md
Politics
Promo-LEX about Maia Sandu’s UN speech: The president must insist on appointing a rapporteur to monitor the situation of human rights in Transnistria
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, pays an official visit to New York, USA, between September 21-22. There, she participates in the work of the United Nations General Assembly. According to a press release of the President’s Office, the official will deliver a speech at the tribune of the United Nations.
In this context, the Promo-LEX Association suggested the president to request the appointment of a special rapporteur in order to monitor the situation of human rights in the Transnistrian region. According to Promo-LEX, the responsibility for human rights violations in the Transnistrian region arises as a result of the Russian Federation’s military, economic and political control over the Tiraspol regime.
“We consider it imperative to insist on the observance of the international commitments assumed by the Russian Federation regarding the withdrawal of the armed forces and ammunition from the territory of the country,” the representatives of Promo-LEX stated. They consider the speech before the UN an opportunity “to demand the observance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Russian Federation with reference to this territory which is in its full control.”
“It is important to remember about the numerous cases of murder, torture, ill-treatment, forced enlistment in illegal military structures, the application of pseudo-justice in the Transnistrian region, all carried out under the tacit agreement of the Russian Federation. These findings stem from dozens of rulings and decisions issued by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that Russia is responsible for human rights violations in the region.”
The association representatives expressed their hope that the president of the country would give priority to issues related to the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region and would call on relevant international actors to contribute to guaranteeing fundamental human rights and freedoms throughout Moldova.
They asked Maia Sandu to insist on the observance of the obligation to evacuate the ammunition and the military units of the Russian Federation from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, to publicly support the need for the Russian Federation to implement the ECtHR rulings on human rights violations in the Transnistrian region, and to request the appointment of an UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur to monitor the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova.
**
The Promo-LEX Association concluded that 14 out of 25 actions planned within the National Action Plan for the years 2018–2022 concerning respecting human rights in Transnistria were not carried out by the responsible authorities.
The association expressed its concern and mentioned that there are a large number of delays in the planned results. “There is a lack of communication and coordination between the designated institutions, which do not yet have a common vision of interaction for the implementation of the plan.”
Promo-LEX requested the Government of the Republic of Moldova to re-assess the reported activities and to take urgent measures, “which would exclude superficial implementation of future activities and increase the level of accountability of the authorities.”
Photo: peacekeeping.un.org
“They are not needy, but they need help”. How Moldovan volunteers try to create a safe environment for the Ukrainian refugees
Reading Time: 3 minutesAt the Government’s ground floor, the phones ring constantly, the laptop screens never reach standby. In one...
#WorldForUkraine – a map that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against Russian aggression
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe international community and volunteers from all over te world have launched #WorldForUkraine as a platform that...
How is Moldova managing the big influx of Ukrainian refugees? The authorities’ plan, explained
Reading Time: 3 minutesFrom 24th to 28th of February, 71 359 Ukrainian citizens entered the territory of Republic of Moldova....
Russia And Ukraine At The Beginning of 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutesThis opinion piece was written by Dr. Nicholas Dima. Dr. Dima was formerly a Professor of Geography and...
The man raising children on Nistru river
Reading Time: 7 minutesOn the Nistru, near the village of Varnița, a few colored pens with blue dots in the...
The village of the first astronomer in the Republic of Moldova
Reading Time: 5 minutesFrom eight in the morning till noon, every Thursday and Sunday, people lay their merchandise on the...
The prodigal son returns and turns his grandparents’ home in a tourist attraction on Nistru river
Reading Time: 7 minutesOn the road towards the school, a well-maintained rural house catches your eye, yellow stags painted on...
FC Sheriff Tiraspol victory: can national pride go hand in hand with political separatism?
Reading Time: 4 minutesA new football club has earned a leading place in the UEFA Champions League groups and starred...
Study// What is the reaction of authorities to journalistic investigations?
Reading Time: 3 minutes“People expect logical consequences when they see cases of undeclared assets, conflicts of interest, protectionism or proof...
Secretary General of CoE called on Moldova’s state institutions to avoid constitutional crisis. Politicians took it the way they wanted.
Reading Time: 3 minutesAt the beginning of this month, Speaker of Parliament, Zinaida Greceanii, sent a letter to Secretary General...