Russian expert: Moldovan Communists must compromise with coalition
Text of article "Exodus of Communists begins in Moldova" by Vitaliy Portnikov published at Russian political commentary website Politkom.ru on 17 December (in Russian).
The first four deputies from the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova [PCRM] have left its serried ranks. This political earthquake had been brewing for a long time; even before the recent vote on the ruling coalition's proposed presidential candidate, voices had been heard among the Communists talking about the need to support Marian Lupu and cooperate with the new authorities in exchange for concessions on their part. The most active supporter of this stance was former Moldovan Ambassador to Russia Vladimir Turcan, who was once regarded as the right-hand man of Vladimir Voronin, the country's ex-president and Communist leader. But defending the idea of compromise cost Mr Turcan his prestige among the PCRM leadership - although it did enable him to find supporters who were willing to join him in quitting the Communist faction and creating a new parliamentary association.
The question may arise: Why did this walkout by dissidents take place only after the recent vote on the presidential candidacy, which confronted the country with the need to hold new parliamentary elections? But maybe before that vote some of the Communist deputies still had hopes that their leaders would agree to concessions. Those deputies who, unlike Vladimir Voronin and his closest adviser Marc Tcaciuc, the indefatigable architect of the Communist collapse, do not have their heads in the clouds and are aware of the mood among potential voters, have a clear understanding that the next parliamentary elections will leave a large proportion of Communist deputies without seats. And consequently, in order to remain in power, it is necessary to make concessions right now, to do a deal with the authorities on possible legislative and even constitutional amendments, and to create new centre-left parties capable of replacing the Communist Party in Moldova's political arena.
If the Communists' flight from Vladimir Voronin's fact ion continues, there could well be a constitutional majority in the Moldovan Parliament capable of making the necessary amendments to the country's fundamental law and even revisiting the presidential elections. And maybe reviving the idea of elections of the head of state by the whole people. So various scenarios are possible. Of course, doubts can arise as to the legitimacy of this or that procedure. But Moldova, like it or not, is a country in the post-Soviet space. And in order to resolve the issue of legitimacy, the country has a Constitutional Court. Following its interpretation of a given decision by parliamentarians, all doubts will be dispelled and the country will live with whatever leadership may have been elected as a result of new and unexpected compromises and accords.
And clearly the Moldovan authorities have an interest in that turn of events. The country's new leaders did not conceal their delight at the decision by Vladimir Turcan and his supporters. After the failure of the last round of presidential elections, they warned Vladimir Voronin and other representatives of the Communist faction that they will try to revisit once again the elections of the head of state. Recent events show that these were not idle promises.
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