Moldova's pro-western parties secure election win

MOLDOVA’S PRO-WESTERN opposition parties have pledged to form a broad coalition government after securing a surprise election victory over the ruling communists.

Though they were by far the most popular single party – claiming 45 per cent of the vote against 16 per cent for the second-placed Liberal Democrats – the communists are poised to fill only 48 seats in parliament compared to a combined 53 for their four opponents.

The communists won 60 seats just three months ago in a vote that sparked rioting by young Moldovans who accused the ruling party of fraud. Deadlock in parliament over who would succeed communist president Vladimir Voronin triggered Wednesday’s general election.

Vlad Filat, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said he would help create a “wide coalition in the interests of the people. We will find the necessary compromise and find agreement so that Moldova finally gets democratic rule. We fought for this for so long and with so many difficulties”.

Mr Filat added: “After eight years of authoritarianism, democratic development is possible in this country.” He called on the communists to “accept defeat and withdraw into opposition”. Before the election, Mr Voronin accused the opposition of planning to destabilise the country and even of wanting to make it part of neighbouring Romania.

He struck a more conciliatory tone yesterday, however, and praised his communist colleagues before appearing to accept the results of an election that won broad approval from international monitors.

“The Communist Party is ready for fundamental dialogue with all political forces represented in parliament,” Mr Voronin said.

Analysts said the communists’ only hope of retaining power was by forming a coalition with the Democrats of Marian Lupu, an academic who recently defected from the communist ranks and won 13 seats in parliament.

But Mr Lupu immediately rejected such a deal. “We will not go into a bilateral coalition with the Communist Party. I understand that such an alliance will preserve the existing situation in the country – one that is far from good,” he said.

During eight years in power, Mr Voronin sought to balance Moldova’s foreign policy between Russia and the European Union.

But the growing threat to communist power pushed him closer in recent months to Moscow, which offered Moldova a €360 million loan to help it through the economic crisis.

Moldova’s political turmoil may not be over, however: the liberal coalition would not have the 61 votes in parliament needed to elect its candidate as president. And if a presidential candidate is rejected twice, another snap general election will be triggered.