Average Chisinau Resident in front of electoral lists. Info-Prim Neo analysis, Part IV

The news agency Info-Prim Neo continues to follow the ordinary Chisinau resident, who, as far as it is known, manifests a certain interest in elections, possess a certain volume of relevant information, but does not have time and possibility of making additional checks and looking for explanations. [CP: Keeping silence as an electoral intrigue] The Conservative Party (CP), under no.5 in ballot papers, is a newly formed party, engaged in its first election campaign, though it acts like it doesn’t really want to make it to the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) and to win the mayor’s race either. Such an impression the “average” voter cannot explain for himself at the moment. Some time ago, he was somewhat intrigued by the launch of this political party whose name has been barely heard of, with not too old, not too young members and with some good looking ladies leading it. Since then, however, the party has been quasi dormant, so the electoral list is the only piece of information available. The voter remains intrigued when he sees a list consisting only of 27 candidates, in contrast to the majority of competitors that launched offers of above 50. Yet, the information about its candidates is plentiful: date of birth, education, current occupation… The list is rather balanced in terms of gender rate, studies in different fields, professions and occupations, although in what concerns the latter criterion, the list includes 7 doctors of the total of 27 candidates. Anyway, there are not too many distinct features that would encourage a choice in elections. The names of the candidates do not say too much either. All that the “average” voter knows about the candidate number 1 is that he runs for Chisinau Mayor. Number 2 is a financial director. In fact, this list contains a significant number of managers of human and financial resources, too. Number 3 has apparently made himself remarked as a high-ranking officer somewhere at the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Chisinau General Police Office. Number 4 appeared several times at televised public debates, but the average voter didn’t see much of a difference between him and the representatives of other parties. And that’s it. [PPCD: A party of conspiracy] The list of the Christian-Democrat People’s Party (PPCD) hasn’t offer much of information about its candidates either, although the average Chisinau resident has the impression that this party is for some years the undefeated leader in manipulating voters. PPCD is always engaged in elections, even outside the election campaign. According to the official list of PPCD, 22 candidates of the total of 56 have no permanent occupation or are unemployed. Large blocks in that list contain solely information about the candidates’ education, but nothing about their current occupation: numbers 6, 10 to 13, 16 to 23, and so on. Based on the list, 9 candidates do not reside permanently in Chisinau, which they intend to assume control of. The “average” voter points out: the specific category in that list should have contained information about the candidate’s actual domicile and not his formal legal residence. If 3 of those 9 are students, an hypothetically could not actually reside in Chisinau, how does the party plan to manage the extremely complex affairs of the capital city through its representatives from Cahul, Causeni, Orhei, and other regions of the country? Or maybe the information that should have been provided in the list is hidden on purpose, becomes the voter alarmed, including because the data on the other PPCD candidates are complete, in compliance with the requirements of the list form. His suspicions are fuelled by the slogan which PPCD uses most often – “Guard the Capital” – an “instigation” made by candidate no.1 from the numerous billboards installed throughout the city. Whom should we guard it from? From enemies? From friends? From friends that ally with enemies? More spymania than campaigning, tells himself the average voter. It is either that PPCD prepared the list of councillors in a hurry, being aware that it has no chances to win, or that it promotes chaos as a form of electoral strategy, the average Chisinau resident reflects. No.1 has represented PPCD in the outgoing CMC. It seems that he represented it well, since he managed to become deputy mayor. The current list includes three “older” councillors more, but two of them are likely to fail a re-entry into the council, as they are placed 22nd and 31st respectively. Number 3 might get the chance. This time, as usually, the leadership of the party didn’t make an exception from the rule of reshuffling its activists. Nevertheless, it looks like PPCD does not trust very much its newest activists either, since among the first nine candidates there were included 2 advisors of the vice-speaker of Parliament and a consultant of the parliamentary faction, most probably to keep an eye on the first category. [PSD: The unconvincing perfection] As it happened in many other campaigns, the Social-Democrat Party (PSD) is, in theory, campaigning almost perfectly: performs long-term and sustained activities, takes stances, makes harsh statements, gets involved in image-making activities, etc. Over the past half a year it had the ingenuity to attract a rather numerous and combative category – the patentees – and to take control of it. The electoral message is combative and well-structured. Yet, the average voter doesn’t understand for the time being why PSD, the oldest party in Moldova, had never won any elections and why he never voted it, although he seems to like the party. The PSD’s list mirrors exactly this attitude. The first 5 or 6 candidates are well-known personalities, with a rich experience in political battles. Then come the “quasi-anonymous people”, with modest résumés and yet varied: “sports trainer”, “social assistant”, “insurance agent”, “doctor”, “pensioner”, “student”, “trolley driver”, “temporary unemployed”, etc. On the one hand, the average voter reflects, this is how a list with a broad social base should look like, as politicians and “managers” are not always reliable, on the other hand, the formula that PSD is currently relying on is too heterogeneous in what concerns the candidate’s grounding. But maybe this is the very electoral formula that might please the Moldovan voter, whose electoral preferences are a mystery to some “experts”. To be continued… [The previous parts of the analysis “Average Chisinau Resident in front of electoral lists” are available in the archives of Info-Prim Neo’s website www.info-prim.md]