The main learned lesson for the competitors and citizens after the first round of the presidential elections is that the opinion polls, if they are conducted in a professional way, matter and correctly reflect the situation before the vote. The figures show that the chances in the runoff are 50:50. Everything depends on the messages and election campaign that will be staged by the candidates during the next few days. The voters of Renato Usatyi also matter. In the runoff, those who didn’t cast their ballots in the first round will go to vote in the runoff and they must be conquered, the standing expert of IPN’s project Igor Boțan stated in the Agency’s public debate “First round of presidential elections 2020: lessons learned and lessons to be learned”.
Igor Boțan considers the direct election of the President in a parliamentary republic is a waste of time and money. “It is interesting, but it’s not worth the effort. The responsible political bodies should either annul the reform of 2000 or return to a semi-presidential regime, with particular duties for the head of state, or we should return to the election of the President in Parliament. Otherwise, this will be mockery of candidates and citizens”.
According to Igor Boțan, it seems that the geopolitical orientation was absent from the electoral campaign of Igor Dodon, who didn’t go to debates, but in his electoral program he arranges the foreign and geopolitical priorities. He says Russia is the main strategic partner, which is followed by China, Turkey and the U.S. “About the European Union, Igor Dodon does not say anything, but notes that the relations with the European Union should be developed. At the same time, Moldova’s interests should be defended”. Igor Boțan considers that this way he expressed his public disagreement with the DCFTA and forgets to say that Moldova and Turkey have a kind of DCFTA and Moldova’s market of food products is invaded by Turkish products more than by European ones.
Violeta Ivanonv and the Shor Party are of Eurasian orientation, even if this wasn’t mentioned somehow. The Shor Party is the former Ravnopravie Party led by Valery Klimenko. This party considers Moldova’s future is in a union with Russia.
“Maia Sandu’s electoral program is based on support from the European Union for three funds. In Andrei Năstase’s electoral program, Moldova is strategically anchored in the EU, while Tudor Deliu formulates the idea of re-launching the European integration. Dorin Chirtoacă and Octavian Țîcu transmitted clear messages that Moldova does not have a future and can become part of the EU only through Romania.”
Igor Boțan also said that the civil society organizations that are interested in free and fair elections are associated with the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections. This Coalition, since March, has cooperated very intensely with the CEC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the establishment of polling places abroad. Here, both of the institutions asserted themselves as credible partners. Civil society became involved in the electoral process and this fact is extremely important.
The public debate “First round of presidential elections 2020: lessons learned and lessons to be learned” was the 158th installment of the series “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
