All news

Moldova president should be elected by yearend – opinion

The European Union is interested in a Moldovan president being elected before the end of the year

CHISINAU, November 16 (Itar-Tass) —— The European Union is interested in a Moldovan president being elected before the end of the year, Dirk Schuebel, the head of the EU delegation to Moldova, told reporters on Wednesday, commenting on the failure to elect head of state in parliament for lack of candidates.

He expressed the hope that the problem would be solved and the sides would reach consent, which is better than early parliamentary elections. He suggested that Moldovan parliament should elect president as soon as possible and expressed certainty that Moldova had enough candidates to the post. Schuebel stressed that EU experts were ready to give assistance to Chisinau with the talks for electing president.

The attempt to hold presidential election in Moldova on November 18 flopped, as the leaders of the ruling coalition and “Dodon’s group” that withdrew from the oppositional Party of Communists failed to agree on the joint candidature for presidency. The sides insisted on their stands. Ex-Communists suggested the nomination of ex-premier Zinaida Greceanu, while the coalition favored the former candidate, interim president Marian Lupu, the leader of the Democratic Party.

“In this situation it was decided not to nominate a candidate who is not sure of the support of 61 deputies to be elected. We must start from scratch; there is time still to reach agreement,” said Moldovan Premier Vlad Filat, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. He blamed the leader of the pro-Romanian Liberal Party Mihai Ghimpu for the failure of the talks.

The fact that three deputies, led by Igor Dodon, withdrew from the Communist faction offers a chance to overcome the drawn-out crisis when parliament has been unable over two years to elect president as this requires the votes of 61 out of the 101 deputies. The ruling coalition formed of the Liberal-Democratic, Democratic and Liberal parties has 59 seats in parliament, and the Communists, before Dodon parted company with them, had 42 mandates, which made it possible to block the election of president from the coalition.

Under Moldovan law, two attempts can be made to elect president. If they fail, parliament will be dissolved and the country will face the fourth election within two years.