Vladimir Voronin wants elections in October

The Communists Party of Moldova considers that the early legislative elections should be held in autumn, in the second half of October. The PCRM is ready to return to the sittings of the Parliament immediately after a preliminary agreement over the modification of article 78 of the Constitution is reached with the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), the party's president Vladimir Voronin told a news conference on May 11. The former head of state stressed that this possible consensus will become utopian if the government coalition does not agree to dissolve Parliament and announce new early elections. Another condition imposed by the Communists is to disband the commission for studying the totalitarian Communist regime in Moldova, which is called by Vladimir Voronin “Ghimpu's commission”. Voronin says this commission aims to deprive the PCRM of its symbols and name and to leave it thus outside the electoral race. “I want to discourage them. They will not manage to. It would represent a coup,” Vladimir Voronin said. The president of the PCRM considers that European mediators, including delegates of the PACE, can boost the negotiations between the Communists Party and the Alliance. Asked if the PCRM would accept direct presidential elections as the AEI proposed, if the government coalition announces the date of early elections as the Communists demand, Vladimir Voronin said a decision can be reached only by talks. Vladimir Voronin stressed that legislative elections will anyway take place even if a consensus is not reached over the amendment of article 78 of the Constitution, which describes the procedure for electing the President. He criticized the bill with amendments to the Electoral Code, especially the provisions that allow holding elections abroad for several consecutive days and reducing the voter turnout for referendums. “Why should we keep the name of referendum? We'd better provide that the Constitution can be modified every day, as Filat, Ghimpu, Urecheanu and others wish,” Voronin said ironically. Asked to comment on the opinion poll that gives a lower popular approval rating for the Communists Party, Vladimir Voronin said he does not trust such surveys as they are commissioned and financed by parties that pursue certain goals. The PCRM's constitutional amendment proposal that was approved by the Constitutional Court suggests electing the head of state by three rounds of voting, by 61, 57 and 52 votes respectively. Communist MP Vadim Misin said earlier that the negotiations on the modification of the procedure for electing the head of state should be based on the Communists Party's proposal. He said the government coalition's proposal to hold direct presidential elections is good, but it does not observe the recommendations made by the Venice Commission, which is a very important thing for Moldova.