Snap elections could be held in winter if presidential elections fail, expert

If the upcoming presidential elections fail, early parliamentary elections are likely to be held in winter, thinks constitutional expert Vitali Catana. In an interview to RFE/RL Moldovan Service, the expert said there is a “strictly political” reason behind this. He suggested that the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party, frustrated by Vlad Filat's perceived actions against the Eurointegration Alliance, might want Filat's Government and Liberal-Democratic Party to face elections in winter, when the overall situation in the country tends to worsen, particularly due to the heating-related struggles of the population. This would also obviously benefit the opposition Communist Party. But if the leaders of the Alliance manage to agree, the elections could be held in spring, said Vitali Catana. Procedurally, if a president is not elected in two attempts, the first being set for November 18, acting President Marian Lupu will have to start proceedings to dissolve the legislature. “Or, the President will be elected, which I seriously doubt”, said Catana. “The sword of Damocles will hang above the next Parliament as well, which I believe is wrong. The current Parliament should, at its last gasp at least, find a way to resolve this. The solution could be by a simple majority in Parliament, that is, 51 deputies, or by direct popular vote. I'm not sure if the current Parliament would still be able to do it after the two attempts to elect the president will have passed”, said Vitali Catana.