The Democratic Party (PDM) in the presidential elections will most probably rely on a candidate that won’t be fielded by it, but who will be accepted both by the West and Moscow, former member of the PDM Andrei Popov said in the talk show “Interpol” on TV 7 channel, IPN reports.

He considers the candidate that will be supported by Vladimir Plahotniuc from behind will not be proposed by the PDM. “The Democratic Party has a low rating. It faces an image deficit. Plahotniuc will not take a risk. Marian Lupu could be fielded for keeping up appearances. This would actually mean that Lupu will be sacrificed. At a certain moment, Vladimir Plahotniuc will want to get rid of Lupu,” stated Andrei Popov.

The ex-ambassador to Austria does not rule out the possibility that the candidate on whom Vladimir Plahotniuc will bank and who this will support will be the president of the Constitutional Court Alexandru Tanase. “He is pro-West and is not in hostile relations with Moscow. He does not form part of a party and is loyal to Vladimir Plahotniuc, even if Tanase repeatedly declared that he will not run in the presidential elections,” he explained.

Andrei Popov also said that Vladimir Plahotniuc has to gain two more posts for fully controlling the country – of Head of State and of Prime Minister. “The PDM or actually Vladimir Plahoniuc controls the whole state. It is an enormous system on which he worked and in which he invested a lot. The citizens of the Republic of Moldova can stop this system at least slightly in the presidential elections,” he stated.