Civil society - mediator between AEI and PCRM

After having a meeting with representatives of the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) last week, several leaders of the civil society arranged a meeting with the leader of the Opposition party Vladimir Voronin. As Voronin could not come to the meeting owing to some emergencies, the NGO leaders discussed with representatives of the Communists Party – Iurie Muntean, Grigore Petrenko and Sergiu Sarbu, Info-Prim Neo reports. The topics for discussion included the possible early legislative elections and a possible referendum on the modification of the Constitution, especially article 78 concerning the procedure for electing the head of state. “I recommended that the representatives of the PCRM should negotiate with the AEI leaders and agree to modify article 78 in Parliament so that we do not enter the same vicious circle after the possible early elections,” the director of Eurasia Foundation in Moldova Sorin Mereacre has told Info-Prim Neo. According to Sorin Mereacre, a part of the NGO leaders consider that the PCRM's proposal to the AEI to sign a reconciliation pact looks like an ultimatum. “I do not think this is a good start for a dialogue with the government coalition,” Mereacre said. Sorin Mereacre considers that the Government and the Opposition can be reconciled by an European or U.S. mediator with power of conviction. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Sergiu Sarbu said the PCRM would sit at the negotiating table with the AEI if the civil society acted as mediator. The meeting with representatives of the PCRM was attended by organizations that form part of the National Council of NGOs and the National Participation Council. They urged the AEI and the PCRM to take into account the Venice Commission's recommendations concerning the amendment of the Constitution.