MAE, PNL to run the parliamentary race together

The European Action Movement (MAE) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) announced today at a news conference they would put forth a joint list of candidates in the 2009 parliamentary elections, Info-Prim Neo reports. However, it has yet not been agreed which party name will appear in the heading of that list and who's number one on it. At the same news conference, MAE and PNL announced other parties might also join their common list, with negotiations being in progress. Among the parties mentioned were the Liberal Party and the Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) Party – although these have earlier expressed determination to run solo – plus the Liberal Democratic Party and a couple of other minor right-wing political groups. “If the Liberals and the AMN don't reconsider their intention to enter the race unaccompanied, the electorate will reverse their opinion about them”, said PNL leader Vitalia Pavlicenco. At the same time, MAE and PNL don't rule out the possibility of joining another party ahead of the elections. “If the negotiations with other parties bring about a joint list of one party or a 'national' list, we will make the decisions arising from this fact, but there's no way that these negotiations will be a barrier that will produce confusion and disappointment among the electorate”, said Pavlicenco. According to MAE president Anatol Petrencu, “the unification of forces will boost the chances of both parties in the parliamentary elections”. He has added that he is confident in the new alliance's ability to overcome the 6 percent threshold required to enter Parliament. Anatol Petrencu and Vitalia Pavlicenco further expressed hope that their example would be followed by other parties, “because this is what the electorate wants, and the interest of the West, too”. “The parties that wish to overthrow Communism in the Republic of Moldova, and which do not act in self-interest, will resort to alliances”, they concluded. Both MAE and PNL have two deputies each to represent them in the Moldovan legislative body, and both of them entered Parliament on other party's lists, which they later left.