A group of 13 persons, former members of the People’s Christian Democrat Party have recently joined the Social Liberal Party (PSL). The event was made public at a press conference by Oleg Serebrian, the chairman of PSL, on Tuesday, December 12. According to Serebrian, most of the new members are residents of the capital, mainly teachers. The PSL leader mentioned that his party has earlier announced its concern for the unification of liberal oriented parties from Moldova. But seeing that an immediate fusion is not possible, the party took another strategy of gradual unification and, by the end of this year, another group will join. PSL intends this way to prove that it can become an attractive centre for strengthening the liberal democratic opposition in Moldova. If the coalition is not completed till the local elections in 2007, the party intends to impose itself in the period before the parliamentary elections in 2009. The group that joined PSL includes Sergiu Burca, executive ex-chairman of PPCD, who has been expelled from the party, along with other members in late May, 2005. Burca explained his choice by the fact that PSL has a clear vision over the perspective Moldova should follow, and the leadership of the party pleads in favour of an open dialogue and partnership with other similar parties. Burca recognized that he didn’t approve the vote of April 4 of those 3 PSL deputies, but appreciated the following statements of Serebrian, by means of which he excused for this action. He urged his former party colleagues who had been excluded from the party, left the party by themselves or “do not know what to do” to follow his example. According to the information provided at the press conference, Sergiu Burca was elected as deputy chairman of the SLP Chisinau organization and also interim chairman of the organization. Speaking about the vote of April 4, when the deputies of SLP voted the re-election of President Vladimir Voronin, Serebrian said he does not regret the vote, but its consequences. SLP was founded on May 9, 2001. As a result of the 2005 Parliamentary elections, 3 members of the SLP became members of the parliament on the lists of “Moldova Democrata” Bloc. Later they left the Bloc and voted on April 4 the re-election of Vladimir Voronin as President. This action was criticised by several parties with which the SLP announced in February it wants to merge in order to create the Liberal Party of Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports.