Until Vladimir Voronin remains to lead the Communist Party (PCRM), the rating diminutions will not be dramatic for the party, considers political commentator Bogdan Tardea. He made the statement in the program Fabrika, on Publika TV, referring to the seven Communist councilors in Cahul who left the faction and joined the Democratic Party (PDM), Info-Prim Neo reports. Bogdan Tardea said the PCRM will keep its popularity owing to its leader. “The party will exist. Anyway, it is the most powerful in the opposition and, in general, the most powerful party,” he stated. Political analyst Igor Botan, permanent expert in the program, said that the PCRM calmed down about half a year ago and started to insistently promote the idea of joining the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union. “They probably calmed down and work to promote this idea so that it competes with the European integration project,” he said. Political analyst Nicolae Chirtoaca believes that the ruling parties aim to weaken the power of the main rival so as to keep their power. “We see that the Democratic Party in particular is trying to strengthen its positions at district level,” stated the analyst. A group of seven Cahul district councilors headed by Stefan Bratu, who was the chairman of the Communist faction in the Destruct Council, on December 7 announced that they decided to leave the Communist Party and to join the Democratic Party. They argued that they want to support the community as well as possible and to fulfill the commitments made to those who voted for them. Therefore, they need the political support of a party like the PDM, which, according to them, can represent the interests of the center-left voters. For their part, the Communist councilors said that the local councilors who left their faction had been simply bought.