CHISINAU, March 12 (Itar-Tass) — The registration of candidates for the presidency is on Monday coming to an end Moldova, however, nobody one has expressed the desire to run.
“None of the candidates has turned to us to get a package of documents for the nomination,” chairman of the parliamentary commission on the presidential election Tudor Deliu told reporters. He recalled that for being registered a candidate must win the support of at least 15 members of parliament and provide a package of documents, which includes a health certificate, income statement and other formalities.
The Parliament of Moldova has been unable to elect the country’s president for the third consecutive year. The protracted political crisis began in April 2009 when riots took place in Chisinau after the victory of the Communist Party at elections. Then supporters of the liberal opposition blocked the election of the President, in order to call early elections, after which the Communists became the opposition and the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), formed by the Democratic, Liberal and Liberal Democratic Parties, took the power. However, the deputies of the ruling coalition, which has held 59 out of 101 seats in parliament, have been unable for two and a half years to elect the president for whom 61 MPs are required to vote. A chance to overcome the lingering political crisis emerged last autumn, when three deputies, led by former Deputy Prime Minister Igor Dodon quit the Communist faction that refuses to vote for candidates from the ruling coalition.
Several candidates from the ruling coalition are discussed behind the scenes, the Moldovan press names as the most likely candidates former Vice President of the National Bank Veronica Bacalu who works for the IMF, and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Magistracy Nicolae Timofti. Socialists of Dodon’s group have confirmed that they are ready to discuss these nominations.
However, the election of the president was called into question because of the intransigence of the Liberal Party leader Mihai Ghimpu, who has put forward a number of claims to the colleagues in the coalition, including the promise of the presidential candidate not to dismiss from the government members of his party. Experts find it difficult to predict how Ghimpu will behave, and without the votes of his faction the elections may again be thwarted.
The Communists, who control 39 votes out of 101, are boycotting parliamentary sessions and on the day of the presidential election will stage mass protests in Chisinau.
“Even if the president is elected, he will be illegitimate, because the parliament had long violated all the constitutional laws on the presidential elections time schedule and must be dissolved,” Communist leader and former President Vladimir Voronin stated.