Moldovan coalition leaders differ on solution to political crisis
The opposition Communists' decision not to participate in today's repeat presidential election stemmed from fear and by doing so they wanted to split up the alliance. The leaders of the ruling alliance shared this opinion and noted that the only solution to the ongoing political crisis is to amend the constitution. Given the repeated failure to elect the president, parliament should be dissolved [not sooner than] in July 2010 and a snap election should be called.
Vlad Filat, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party: "They [the Communists] wanted to split up the alliance. Actually, this was their goal. Moreover, I presume that discussions about the existence of a group [of Communists who wanted to vote for the alliance's candidate] were nothing but a game aimed at splitting up the alliance.
[Mihai Ghimpu, captioned as leader of the Liberal Party] Nobody can give any guarantee that the snap election due next autumn will solve the problem that we are facing today. We may meet again in parliament and again no side will have 61 votes to elect the president. Therefore, I said that there would be no snap election. The Communists stand no chance of returning to power. It is over. Their time remained in the history. And thanks God."
Marian Lupu, leader of the Democratic Party: "We are heading towards a snap parliamentary election. And we are all aware of this. Actually, it is a requirement of the constitution, a condition that cannot be avoided. Another question is when the snap election should take place. I speak in favour of holding the snap election in a period when it will be less dangerous to stability in society."
Serafim Urechean, leader of the Our Moldova Alliance: "We will probably hold a referendum and will change those articles in the constitution which are erroneous as a matter of fact. As concerns the snap election, we will see."
In another ProTV report, a Moldovan political analyst and director of the Association for Participatory Democracy, Igor Botan, was quoted as saying that a snap parliamentary election is unavoidable and may take place in the autumn of 2010. Botan said that before the ballot, the constitution needs to be changed either by parliament or via referendum. He noted that not the whole constitution should be changed but only an article regarding the presidential election so that the president be elected with 53 votes and not 61 as it is the case presently.
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