Voronin urges Moldovans no to vote in referendum

Several days before the constitutional referendum, the leader of the Communists Party (PCRM) Vladimir Voronin called on the voters not to take part in the plebiscite on September 5. In a public address on the national TV channel Moldova 1, Voronin said the September 5 referendum is ‘defective’ and represents a trap for the Moldovans, Info-Prim Neo reports. “I strongly advise you not to participate in this referendum. Deal with your matters, look after your families and get ready for winter as it will be very hard. We do not need this plebiscite,” Vladimir Voronin said, addressing the voters. According to the Communist leader, the election of the head of state by popular vote is not an effective method for Moldova and this was seen until 2000. Voronin said the first two Presidents of Moldova - Mircea Snegur and Petru Luchinski – were elected by the people, but they could not get along with the then Premiers or Speakers because the powers of the head of state were not clearly defined. Vladimir Voronin said that if the September 5 referendum is validated, more plebiscites will follow. “The second referendum will be on Moldova’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the third on the union with Romania, the fourth on the entry into NATO and the next on other foolish things that will leave nothing of that country that was declared independent by Stefan cel Mare, that was founded by Bogdan the First, that we started to build in June 1940,” he stated. The PCRM is a participant in the campaign preceding the September 5 referendum, but it urges the voters to boycott it. This Sunday, the participants in the referendum will be asked whether they are in favor or against amending the Constitution so that it allows for direct election of the head of state.