PCRM took a desperate step, AEI

Representatives of the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) expressed their skepticism about the Communists Party's decision to cancel the protests and support the amendment of article 78 in Parliament so that the head of state be elected directly by the people. At the same time, they say the position made public today by the PCRM offers a new possibility of dialogue between the Opposition and the government coalition and the referendum might be avoided, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The AEI's decision to hold a referendum and elections is aimed at overcoming the crisis faced by the present legislative body. I do not understand why the Communists did not do the same. We cannot believe in the Communists' sincerity, but discussions between the AEI and the PCRM can take place,” said the leader of the Liberal-Democratic parliamentary group Mihai Godea. A compromise in Parliament can be even better than a referendum, said Democrat MP Dumitru Diacov. He stressed that the mutual distrust between the Alliance and the Communists Party is the most serious problem that hinders the unlocking of the constitutional crisis. The leader of the Democratic Party Marian Lupu said there are no mechanisms that would guarantee the PCRM's commitment to vote in favor of direct election of the head of state. First Deputy Speaker Serafim Urecheanu, the chairman of the United Moldova Party, said Voronin's train has left and his willingness to discuss with the AEI is false. The unaffiliated MP Victor Stepaniuc, the deputy head of the United Moldova Party, considers the PCRM's proposal is not viable. “I don't think the governing Alliance will now want to talk to the PCRM as it made too many mistakes,” he said. In a press briefing on June 4, the leader of the PCRM Vladimir Voronin said his party is ready to back in Parliament the legislative initiative allowing for direct election of the President so as not to spend money on the referendum. The former President of Moldova said the PCRM's position was determined by the Council of Europe's support for the Alliance's proposal to modify the Constitution by referendum. PCRM canceled the protests scheduled for the next weeks, but the Communist faction will return to the parliamentary sittings after it receives guarantees that the Parliament will be dissolved and early elections will be called.