{"id":405870,"date":"2014-12-02T18:13:37","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T16:13:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/?p=405870"},"modified":"2014-12-02T18:13:37","modified_gmt":"2014-12-02T16:13:37","slug":"moldova-guide-to-destroy-peacefully-a-communist-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/moldova-guide-to-destroy-peacefully-a-communist-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Moldova: Guide to destroy peacefully a Communist Party"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"Screen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

During 1998-2010 elections, the largest party in Moldova was PCRM \u2013 The Communists Party. In 2010, they claimed the majority in North, South and some Central regions. The decline started in 2009, when the pro-European parties started to gain more votes due to informational revolution: people started to communicate more using Internet, social-media, Skype, the rural population was able to receive less biased information and, as result, in 2010, the Liberal Democrat Party (PLDM) managed to become leader in some districts.<\/p>\n

What happened in 2014 Parliamentary elections could be included in the political books as a case study on the topic: \u201cHow to destroy a Communist Party, peacefully\u201d.<\/p>\n

The main steps:<\/p>\n

After mass protests in April 2009, Marian Lupu, a likely candidate for President and a potential new leader of Communist Party left for the Democrat Party (PDM) and managed to increase PDM\u2019s result from 2% in April 2009 till 7.7% in July 2009, bringing back PDM into Parliament.<\/p>\n

Igor Dodon, a PCRM member, also seen as a potential new party leader, left PCRM as he was obstructed from reforming the party. Shortly, he joined the Socialist Party and for long time, polls showed that PSRM could take only about 1% of votes during a Parliamentary election.
\nOther radical members of PCRM left due different reasons, some joined PSRM.<\/p>\n

Some of the \u201cveterans\u201d also left, most of them left politics at all.
\nThe 2014 PCRM campaign started with the slogan \u201cOnly The Communist Party \u2013 Only Voronin!\u201d, Vladimir Voronin, now age 73, having been the Moldovan President between 2001 and 2009 and the leader of the Communist Party since its foundation. No other potential leader remained in PCRM.<\/p>\n

The Socialist Party of Mr. Dodon actively campaigned in the districts where the communists had high ratings, convincing people that his party is \u201ctruly left\u201d and PSRM, not PCRM aims for integration in Customs Union (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan), while PCRM would be rather pro-European than pro-Russian.<\/p>\n

A group of previously unknown people created the Reformed Communist Party, which has the same acronym with the Communist Party (PCRM). No one expected them to take more than 1% of votes.<\/p>\n

A controversial Party \u201cPatria\u201d, leaded by a Moldovan businessman settled in Russia, Renato Usatyi, managed during a year to attract about 10% of voters using criticism against the ruling European coalition and gathering a lot of young people by organizing mass concerts with Russian famous stars.<\/p>\n

Three days before elections, \u201cPatria\u201d was withdrawn from the competition, due to financing its campaign from foreign funds. Renato Usatyi flew to Moscow and indicated in his interview that Socialists, not Communists would represent his electorate better. However he did not tell specifically his voters to vote for the Socialists and also suggesting that his voters may also vote for \u201cPatria\u201d, written on ballot, but with the \u201cwithdrawn\u201d stamp applied. This would have nullify the vote.<\/p>\n

As a result:<\/p>\n

Marian Lupu took about 10-12 p.p. from Communist Party, which represented a more moderate center-left voters, which are also rather pro-European, than pro-Russian.<\/p>\n

Igor Dodon simply overcame the Communist Party, the Socialists beating them by a significant gap (about 21% to about 17%). The above maps show clear that Socialists took over the more radical voters of Communist Party.<\/p>\n

The \u201cclone\u201d PCRM \u2013 Reformed Communist Party surprisingly took 5% of votes, their logo being very close to the Communist one, and the acronym identical. However, this party will not enter the Parliament, as the threshold is 6%.<\/p>\n

A rather \u201csilent\u201d election block, militating for integrating into Customs Union, took about 3% of votes.<\/p>\n

Between 4 and 5% of votes were declared null, which is times more than in previous elections. Most probably, this was a part of \u201ePatria\u201d voters.
\nPCRM left with only 17%, becoming the third party, by the total score obtained during elections, in the back of PSRM and PLDM (Liberal-Democrat Party). Its for the first time, PCRM didn\u2019t get most of the votes since their first participation in elections in 1998. Surprisingly, the Socialists got more votes than any other party, but there are little chances that they will govern, due to their radicalism.<\/p>\n

The Communist Party now is weakened, with an aged leader and virtually no real member who would revive the previous popularity. From a party that had about 50% of ballots in some of previous elections, now PCRM looks more like a shadow. Of course, without the participation of the \u201cclone\u201d PCRM, the Communist would have obtained more percent and even could overcome the Socialist Party.<\/p>\n

At present, the expectations are that PLDM (Liberal-Democrat Party), PL (Liberal Party) and PDM (Democrat Party) will form a coalition which will preserve much of today\u2019s Government. Also, these parties will have to talk to PCRM in 2016, when the Parliament will have to elect a new President, as the coalition doesn\u2019t have the necessary 61 votes (from 101 seats) to elect a President.<\/p>\n

The final results are expected to be announced during this week.<\/p>\n

Mihai Bologan<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>During 1998-2010 elections, the largest party in Moldova was PCRM \u2013 The Communists Party. In 2010, they claimed the majority in North, South and some Central regions. The decline started in 2009, when the pro-European parties started to gain more votes due to informational revolution: people started to communicate more using Internet, social-media, Skype, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":405872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-405870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"Screen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

During 1998-2010 elections, the largest party in Moldova was PCRM \u2013 The Communists Party. In 2010, they claimed the majority in North, South and some Central regions. The decline started in 2009, when the pro-European parties started to gain more votes due to informational revolution: people started to communicate more using Internet, social-media, Skype, the rural population was able to receive less biased information and, as result, in 2010, the Liberal Democrat Party (PLDM) managed to become leader in some districts.<\/p>\n

What happened in 2014 Parliamentary elections could be included in the political books as a case study on the topic: \u201cHow to destroy a Communist Party, peacefully\u201d.<\/p>\n

The main steps:<\/p>\n

After mass protests in April 2009, Marian Lupu, a likely candidate for President and a potential new leader of Communist Party left for the Democrat Party (PDM) and managed to increase PDM\u2019s result from 2% in April 2009 till 7.7% in July 2009, bringing back PDM into Parliament.<\/p>\n

Igor Dodon, a PCRM member, also seen as a potential new party leader, left PCRM as he was obstructed from reforming the party. Shortly, he joined the Socialist Party and for long time, polls showed that PSRM could take only about 1% of votes during a Parliamentary election.
\nOther radical members of PCRM left due different reasons, some joined PSRM.<\/p>\n

Some of the \u201cveterans\u201d also left, most of them left politics at all.
\nThe 2014 PCRM campaign started with the slogan \u201cOnly The Communist Party \u2013 Only Voronin!\u201d, Vladimir Voronin, now age 73, having been the Moldovan President between 2001 and 2009 and the leader of the Communist Party since its foundation. No other potential leader remained in PCRM.<\/p>\n

The Socialist Party of Mr. Dodon actively campaigned in the districts where the communists had high ratings, convincing people that his party is \u201ctruly left\u201d and PSRM, not PCRM aims for integration in Customs Union (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan), while PCRM would be rather pro-European than pro-Russian.<\/p>\n

A group of previously unknown people created the Reformed Communist Party, which has the same acronym with the Communist Party (PCRM). No one expected them to take more than 1% of votes.<\/p>\n

A controversial Party \u201cPatria\u201d, leaded by a Moldovan businessman settled in Russia, Renato Usatyi, managed during a year to attract about 10% of voters using criticism against the ruling European coalition and gathering a lot of young people by organizing mass concerts with Russian famous stars.<\/p>\n

Three days before elections, \u201cPatria\u201d was withdrawn from the competition, due to financing its campaign from foreign funds. Renato Usatyi flew to Moscow and indicated in his interview that Socialists, not Communists would represent his electorate better. However he did not tell specifically his voters to vote for the Socialists and also suggesting that his voters may also vote for \u201cPatria\u201d, written on ballot, but with the \u201cwithdrawn\u201d stamp applied. This would have nullify the vote.<\/p>\n

As a result:<\/p>\n

Marian Lupu took about 10-12 p.p. from Communist Party, which represented a more moderate center-left voters, which are also rather pro-European, than pro-Russian.<\/p>\n

Igor Dodon simply overcame the Communist Party, the Socialists beating them by a significant gap (about 21% to about 17%). The above maps show clear that Socialists took over the more radical voters of Communist Party.<\/p>\n

The \u201cclone\u201d PCRM \u2013 Reformed Communist Party surprisingly took 5% of votes, their logo being very close to the Communist one, and the acronym identical. However, this party will not enter the Parliament, as the threshold is 6%.<\/p>\n

A rather \u201csilent\u201d election block, militating for integrating into Customs Union, took about 3% of votes.<\/p>\n

Between 4 and 5% of votes were declared null, which is times more than in previous elections. Most probably, this was a part of \u201ePatria\u201d voters.
\nPCRM left with only 17%, becoming the third party, by the total score obtained during elections, in the back of PSRM and PLDM (Liberal-Democrat Party). Its for the first time, PCRM didn\u2019t get most of the votes since their first participation in elections in 1998. Surprisingly, the Socialists got more votes than any other party, but there are little chances that they will govern, due to their radicalism.<\/p>\n

The Communist Party now is weakened, with an aged leader and virtually no real member who would revive the previous popularity. From a party that had about 50% of ballots in some of previous elections, now PCRM looks more like a shadow. Of course, without the participation of the \u201cclone\u201d PCRM, the Communist would have obtained more percent and even could overcome the Socialist Party.<\/p>\n

At present, the expectations are that PLDM (Liberal-Democrat Party), PL (Liberal Party) and PDM (Democrat Party) will form a coalition which will preserve much of today\u2019s Government. Also, these parties will have to talk to PCRM in 2016, when the Parliament will have to elect a new President, as the coalition doesn\u2019t have the necessary 61 votes (from 101 seats) to elect a President.<\/p>\n

The final results are expected to be announced during this week.<\/p>\n

Mihai Bologan<\/a><\/p>\n

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