The Centrist Union (UCM) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) announced their merger on Friday, Info-Prim Neo reports. PSD president Dumitru Braghis told a news conference the new party would be guided by the “constructive ideas of social democracy that will solve the problems of the Republic of Moldova”. “We are facing a political crisis because the Communists Party has failed to provide a normal political climate for discussions, which would allow solving the problems of the society. Only a center-left party can stand as an alternative to the Communist government”, declared Braghis. “Taking into account the economic and political crisis, we found it necessary to launch this project, which will be based on law and national interest, patriotism and the care for the society”, declared the UCM's de-facto leader, Vasile Tarlev. Braghis and Tarlev say they haven't decided yet what the new party will be called, which its symbols will be, and who will be its president. They have also expressed their regret that the Democratic Party (PDM) refused to join the project. “The PDM-Marian Lupu project is stage-managed by the PCRM. The fact that Marian Lupu employs the same methods as the PCRM demonstrates that he is a chip off the old block”, said Vasile Tarlev. The PSD and UCM haven't decided yet how they will participate in the early parliamentary elections on July 29 taking into account that the legislation prohibits electoral blocs. The two leaders also said the electoral threshold should be lowered from 5 to 4 percent in order that a democratic society could be built in Moldova. In the parliamentary elections on April 5 the PSD polled 3.7 percent of the vote while the UCM 2.75 percent. The electoral threshold was 6 percent.