CHISINAU, November 4 (Itar-Tass) —— Three deputies of the Party of Communists - ex-Economy Minister Igor Dodon, ex-Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii and deputy Veronica Abramciuc - have withdrawn from the party to elect the next president of Moldova together with the ruling coalition.
“We made that difficult decision for avoiding an early election and for leading the country out of the crisis. Our three votes will help elect the president,” Dodon said.
The deputies explained their move with “the obsolete mentality” of the administration of the Party of Communists and the existence of “covert groups” in the party’s decision-making mechanisms.
The Moldovan parliament has been unable to settle the protracted political crisis for two years. Following a series of early elections, the Party of Communists, which had ruled Moldova for eight years, found itself in opposition. The coalition Alliance for European Integration formed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party took the office.
The coalition has 59 parliament seats, and the communists have 42. The communists said they would not vote for coalition candidate Marian Lupu. It takes 61 out of 101 votes to elect the president.
The withdrawal of key communist deputies from the party caught by surprise its leader, ex-President Vladimir Voronin. “Shame on this country for solving the presidency problem this way and for playing dirty. These three, and not only them, have demeaned themselves,” he said.
In turn, Acting President Marian Lupu urged the leaders of the ruling coalition to begin negotiations with the breakaway deputies. “Their withdrawal from the Party of Communists gives a chance to elect the chief of state and to end the political crisis,” he said.
The reaction of Prime Minister Vlad Filat was reserved. “It was obvious from the party pressing on Dodon that he would leave at some point. Time will show the results of this step,” he said.