Serafim Urecheanu was reelected president of the political party Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) by a majority of votes after a dispute that lasted for over four hours. At the party’s eighth Congress on Saturday, December 12, Victor Osipov was voted in as first vice president of the AMN instead of Veaceslav Untila, who competed for the post of leader alongside Urecheanu and one more vice president of the AMN, Iurie Colesnic, Info-Prim Neo reports. Before the vote, a part of the delegates to the Congress asked that the voting be closed. Otherwise, the AMN could split. After choosing the voting method, most of those attending said the vote should be open. Immediately after announcing the candidates – Serafim Urecheanu, Veaceslav Untila and Iurie Colesnic – the last two walked out in protest at the fact that Serafim Urecheanu counted the votes in the hall himself. The two were accompanied by a large part of the delegates, who said that a commission had to be set up to count and validate the votes. “By leaving the meeting hall, we protest against the way in which the Congress was organized. This does not yet mean that the AMN broke up,” Veaceslav Untila said. Before going out, Untila said anyone can run for the post of the party’s president and the candidates should not be considered enemies. AMN vice president Iurie Colesnic, one of the supporters of Untila, said the AMN is in need of a fundamental, not cosmetic change. “It is not right to promote the same persons,” Colesnic said. “There is no democracy in this party. You can vote for each other,” some of the leavening delegates shouted, while those who remained in the hall were trying to stop them from walking out. The supporters of Veaceslav Untila accused the current leader of promoting persons in the party according to nepotism principles. Before elected as first vice president of the party, Victor Osipov accused Veaceslav Untila of secretly campaigning in favor of himself. Serafim Urecheanu said Saturday’s vote will strengthen the AMN even more, adding that he will not punish those who left the Congress. “The night is long. They will have enough time to calm down,” he said. Among Serafim Urecheanu’s supporters were Leonid Bujor, Valeriu Cosarciuc, Victor Osipov, Vasile Balan and others. 328 of the 439 delegates attending the Congress voted for him.