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RESULTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE MOLDOVA’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
ARKADY BARBAROSHIE,
Director of Institute for Public Policy, Chisinau
The Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova won the parliamentary elections for several reasons.
Firstly, many Moldavians remember the difficult social and economic situation of the late 1990s – on the eve of the Communists’ coming to power. The payments of salaries and pensions were withheld for a year and more. After the Communists had come to power the salaries and pensions were paid regularly against the background of economic upsurge.
Secondly, the so-called “administrative resource” was used in the parliamentary elections. The Moldovan authorities have placed under their control the mainstream mass media, and more than 80% of the population draw information from the national TV and radio. The direct administrative tools – justice, police, etc are also used.
Thirdly, the Moldovan opposition is still weak and noncompetitive. Most voters were willing to back neither the communists nor the opposition.
I would mention another factor – about 350 thousand citizens of Moldova work abroad, which is approximately 20% of the electorate. But those voters couldn’t participate in the elections. The Moldovan rural population makes up over 50% and those people do their utmost to survive. The poverty makes them vote for the Communist Party.
Why did the young Moldavians take to the streets on 7 April? I believe this is a spontaneous reaction. The Moldovan authorities and the opposition could not take control of the protest marches. On Tuesday morning Chisinau’s main square was free of any equipment. The political forces were not ready that the opposition’s accusing the government of rigging the elections and the elections themselves will lead to the protest actions. Moldova’s experts have not predicted such a scenario as well.
For the Moldovan youth the parliamentary elections were the last straw making them to express their discontent, which showed that the young people wanted changes and did not find their place in the country.
April 8, 2009
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