Yesterday’s Opposition, tomorrow’s government?

{With a virtually combined number of 53 seats, the parties that were in opposition until recently, now have a difficult task – to get on well. Info-Prim Neo tried to find out what conditions and principles the talks of these parties will be based on from their leaders.} [PDM leader Marian Lupu] considers that the future Parliament will be functional only if a broad democratic coalition is formed and includes not only the Opposition parties, but also persons with democratic aspirations from the PCRM. “This will be the most favorable situation as the dialogue must be carried out openly with all the politicians that entered the Parliament”. Marian Lupu also said that the dialogue with the three Opposition parties will be carried out from equal positions and will be based on the similar economic, political and social development objectives. At the same time, the PDM, which will have 13 seats in the Parliament, will insist on the social character of the economic reforms and on its principles concerning the foreign policy. “We will plead for strengthening the statehood of Moldova, as a state of law, insuring the supremacy of the law and maintaining Moldova’s status of neutrality so that our country forms part of no political bloc, including NATO. Besides the European integration, which remains our major goal, we are in favor of a strategic partnership with all the neighboring countries.” Marian Lupu stressed that only if these principles are respected, they could start devising a common platform of priorities and actions of the democratic parties. “The next stage will include transparent discussions with the PCRM over the formation of the constitutional bodies of the state. Therefore, all the parties should show maximum constructivism so that we could avoid early elections in 2010,” Marian Lupu said. [PLDM president Vlad Filat], whose party will hold 18 seats of MP, thinks that it is not rights for a party to impose conditions. “The objective of all the democratic parties is to form a viable coalition and constitute the administrative bodies of the state,” Filat said. “The coalition should be based on the principles of a state of law: reformation of the judiciary and of the broadcasting sector, reestablishment of the foreign relations with the neighboring countries, especially Romania, optimization of the European integration processes and many others.” The leader of the PLDM considers that the preservation of the status of neutrality and of the membership of international organizations is not the key priority and can be addressed later, as the final decision will anyway belong to the people. “The voters put their trust in us as MPs and we assumed responsibilities. The major responsibility is to remove the Communists from power. Not because they are Communist, but because they are dictators. This idea should lay at the basis of the new coalition, not conditions that are not of major importance to our electorate at present.” Filat also said that the PLDM will not negotiate the election of the head of state with the PCRM. “The Communist MPs will have two options: to elect a democratic head of state and provide the stability that they promised in the electoral campaign or to choose conformation and deepening of the crisis in Moldova.”. [PL president Mihai Ghimpu] considers that the parliamentary alliance can be formed only by the liberal parties and the PDM. “Most of the people voted for the democratic parties and the Communists Party should accept the election results and step back, or support the policy pursued by the Democrats.” Together with the other Opposition parties, the PL, which will have 15 seats in the Parliament, aims to ensure the observance of the principles of a state of law, to promote a competitive market economy, free media and independent justice. Ghimpu said that poverty reduction and European integration are the main principles which the coalition should be based on. “We will overcome the political, economic and social crises only after we solve the problems faced by the people so that they enjoy decent living standards. We can achieve this only by European integration and effective cooperation with all the European organizations.” These two criteria are common for all the democratic parties, Ghimpu said, stressing that there are not reasons for the formation of the coalition to fail. [AMN leader Serafim Urecheanu] is sure that the democratic parties that entered the Parliament will reach a consensus and will create a broad coalition. “With a democratic parliamentary majority, we will promote a government without Communists. It will be difficult to elect the head of state, but I think that there are persons in the Communists’ camp who are sick and tired of dictatorship and will undoubtedly support a democratic head of state,” said Urecheanu, whose party will be represented by seven MPs. He also said that the Republic of Moldova will lose any support from the European Union if it does not use the chance to form a democratic government. “We will remain in the same period of stagnation. The country will be on the verge of collapse. The people will not return home from abroad, while the young persons will continue to go abroad,” the AMN leader said. According to him, the democratic coalition must not be based on group interests, but on principles that will ensure a national revival, economic and political stability and revitalization of the European integration processes.