Moldova’s left looking forward to set up electoral alliance

A series of left-wing political parties are looking forward to set up an alliance for the legislative elections of 2009, Valeri Klimenko, leader of the social-political movement Ravnopravie, told a news conference today. He said that the parties to form the alliance are those which believe that the President of Moldova was wrong when he broke ties with Russia and the CIS countries. Klimenko mentioned the Patria Moldova Party (PPM), the Socialists’ Party and the organisation United Gagauzia among the parties that are now engaged in negotiations with Ravnopravie. When asked whether the Bloc “Patria-Rodina” is also negotiating, Klimenko said “they are yet to acknowledge the offer”. Gheorghe Sima, PPM vice president, opined that the talks would last for another two months, because it is still not clear how the parties will ally themselves (either merge, form a bloc or an alliance). It also depends on the potential amendments to the Electoral Code, Sima said. Sima accused the Ministry of Justice of refusing to register PPM and blamed it on a political order given by President Voronin. For its part, the Ministry argues the refusal by claiming that not all the required documents have been submitted. The politicians used the occasion of the news conference to publicise a letter sent to the American Embassy, the OSCE Mission and EU’s Special Representative, in which the ruling party is accused of violating human rights and of oppressing its political rivals. The letter urges the EU member-countries to place a travel ban on the President, the Speaker, the Prime Minister and the director of the intelligence service. During the conference, the PPM leader Andrei Tarna used a teleconference line to tell reporters that he was not able to come to Moldova because the authorities initiated criminal proceedings against him. Commenting upon the Transnistria settlement, Tarna said the best solution would be to recognise the independence of the breakaway republic and then invite it to join Moldova in a federal formula.