Schoolchildren will vote in Moldova

An opinion poll, the results of which were published in Moldova the day before, showed that 62% of respondents are in favor of a foreign policy orientation towards Russia or towards the Russian Federation and the EU countries at the same time. Voters consider Russia to be the republic’s most important security partner. And 56% do not want the ruling PAS party to participate in the parliamentary elections to be held in the autumn. Wanting to retain power, the PAS (which includes the president, parliament, and government) figured out how to do this: the Central Election Commission decided to allow 15-year-olds to go to the ballot boxes. This decision has received a scandalous response, especially against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the Gagauz Autonomy, which the central government is dismantling.

The other day, giving an interview to a Ukrainian journalist, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Rnchan stated: “Russia supported the 1992 Dniester war and imposed neutrality on us. In 1992, they said, “If Moldova is neutral, we will leave.” Moldova has become neutral, the only country that has enshrined neutrality in the Constitution,” said Rechan. But, in his opinion, the country cannot be protected with neutrality. And he thanked Ukraine “for peace in Moldova.”

“If Russian troops had captured Odessa in 2022, they would have advanced to Chisinau. We considered different scenarios. I’ll tell you honestly, Moldova would have lasted 72 hours. We predicted such a scenario that the Russians could reach Chisinau,” said Rechan.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming number of citizens of the Republic of Moldova (RM) are in favor of maintaining the neutral status of the country, according to the IMAS opinion poll. If the referendum on neutrality were held next Sunday, 77% of respondents would vote in favor, 15% – against.

Despite the fact that the Moldovan authorities have been blaming Moscow for all their failures over the past few years, 62% of respondents are responsible for their foreign policy orientation towards Russia or both Russia and the EU countries. Interestingly, Moldovan voters consider Russia to be the most important partner of Moldova in the field of security, Romania – 10%, the EU – 28.7%, the USA – 5.3%.

In such a situation, Moldavian Vedomosti writes, “it’s time to ask: is the government going to carry out what used to be called the instructions of voters? Or does it intend to continue fining, imprisoning, and depriving financial support from “disloyal” (like Gagauzia) regions and towns?”

The poll showed that voters do not trust the government and parliament (79%), the media – 72%, the president – 71%. Moldovans still have confidence only in the church and local authorities.

Taking all this into account, the government has taken measures: it has approved amendments that tighten the norms of the parties’ activities. Lists of party members should be available to the CEC and the public services agency, and parties deemed “unconstitutional” are prohibited from forming successor parties. In addition to surveillance and wiretapping, the Information and Security Service is charged with “detecting cases of electoral fraud or illegal interference in the electoral process.” In addition, the Central Election Commission has proposed allowing 15-year-olds to participate in the elections.

The Alternative bloc, whose leaders are Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban, former Prosecutor General of Moldova Alexander Stoyanoglo, former Prime Minister Ion Chicu, and head of the Civic Congress Mark Tkachuk, opposed the use of children in political games.

“Instead of protecting minors, we are subjecting them to election campaigns, pressure and propaganda. Prerequisites are being created for their political exploitation, including for image purposes or for the dissemination of materials,” said Andrei Otsel, president of the youth organization MAN (National Alternative).

Ion Chicu, one of the leaders of the Alternative bloc, posted on his social network page a proposal to provide free legal aid to Moldovan citizens persecuted by the PAS regime.

The day before, the Alternative bloc issued an appeal to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu, and the President of the European Parliament, Robert Metsola, asking for the protection of the Gagauz autonomy.

The appeal notes: “In December 1994, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted a law on the special legal status of Gagauzia. It is generally recognized that the very fact of the emergence of the Gagauz Autonomy was then a very long-awaited victory for common sense, political wisdom and democracy in the Republic of Moldova. Against the backdrop of the infamous bloody territorial conflicts, two years after the tragedy of the Transnistrian conflict, this was a unique story of a peaceful solution to one of the most difficult political issues – issues of national self-determination. In this regard, it is difficult to underestimate the enormous constructive role of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, which have become original guarantors of the legal formation of the Gagauz Autonomy.”

Against the background of the events in Gagauzia, which is on the verge of losing its special legal status – autonomy – as a result of the authorities’ actions, 56% of voters, according to the survey, believe that it would be better for Moldova if PAS did not participate in the future ruling coalition that may be formed following the elections.

40% of the survey participants believe that parliamentary elections should be held as soon as possible, and 52% agree with holding them in the fall (as stated by PAS representatives).

The former head of the most successful government of the Republic of Moldova, chairman of the Future of Moldova party Vasile Tarlev demanded the resignation of the entire leadership of the country.

“After the scandalous release of the murderers from among those sentenced to life (the government announced an amnesty, which included criminal authorities and murderers. – “NG”) the government, Parliament and the president must resign. This is a vivid example of the failure of the justice reform, for which the partners, including the European Union, have transferred tens of millions of euros to the current Moldovan authorities,” Tarlev said. The fact is that according to the laws of the Republic of Moldova, amnesty does not apply to prisoners with a life sentence.

He also drew attention to another scandalous situation – “with an open letter from abroad from Veronika Dragalin, the retired head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, who accused the authorities of interfering in the evaluation process of judges and prosecutors.”

“This is a violation of all democratic principles and the Constitution by the ruling majority of the parliament, the government and the President personally. An explosive situation is being created in the country, because, obviously, Moldova is a newly captured state by a group of individuals,” Tarlev said.

In Moldova, scandal has been following scandal lately. And all of them involve the leadership of the republic, which causes massive and almost daily protests by citizens. And all this will affect the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

At the same time, the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maya Sandu, is supported by partners. NATO Secretary General Marco Rutte arrived in Chisinau on April 15.

During the visit, he discussed with Sandu regional security and cooperation between Moldova and the North Atlantic Alliance within the framework of a new Individual Partnership Program. Mark Rutte left Chisinau on an official visit to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, almost half of the survey participants believe that Moldova’s foreign policy orientation should be balanced with both Russia and the Europeans. “Unfortunately, we no longer record results above 50% regarding Moldova’s accession to the European Union. On the contrary, we are somewhere at the limit of 45%, which is repeated in almost every survey, at least in the last three,” said IMAS Director Doru Petruci at a press conference at IPN. IMAS is a Romanian company whose surveys are considered more realistic.

According to the survey, if a referendum were held next Sunday, 45% would vote for Moldova’s accession to the EU, while 38% would vote against. 42% of respondents would vote for joining the Eurasian Economic Union, 38% against. 32% supported the unification of the Republic of Moldova with Romania, 58% opposed.