Moldova’s relations with EU depends on local elections – expert

The June 3-scheduled general local elections will have an important role besides the proper role of electing mayors and local councillors, political analyst Igor Botan says. In a commentary published on the webpage dedicated to the general local elections www.alegeri.md/2007, the analyst says that political forces and local observers usually and with good reason grant a special importance to the race for the City Hall and the Municipal Council of the capital, Chisinau. Firstly, Chisinau is a symbol because it is the only "political fortress" of significant importance which the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) has never conquered, though it has tried to do so with four different candidates starting 1999. The electoral importance of Chisinau is also invoked because one forth of Moldova’s citizens reside the capital and more than 60 percent of the country’s economic potential is concentrated here. According to the expert, the results of elections at district level reveal actually the true electoral force of political parties and answer very exactly the question – would local elections take place concomitantly with parliamentary elections, what party would Moldova’s citizens elect? At the same time, Botan says, the results of elections in districts will be interpreted for sure as an answer to the question – was the "April 4, 3005" vote the necessary, only solution to the impasse, the way the "constructive" opposition claims or it was a "betrayal" of the PPCD, PD and PSL, the way the elements of the former "active" opposition (AMN, PNL, PDS) and a number of extra-parliamentary parties of various orientations insist. Botan says that the modality of conducting general local elections like the recent elections in Gagauzia will test the democratisation of Moldova in the light of the European Union – Moldova Action Plan. The elections will concentrate all lines of conduct of the state and electoral administrations and police, security and defence bodies in one point. They will outline the real freedom of mass media, parties, and nongovernmental organisations. The declared interest of the OSCE and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe for a long and short-term monitoring of elections will give the European Commission the most cogent evidence to assess the real progresses in implementing the Action Plan by Moldova. If elections are considered bad, Moldova’s relations with the EU will be compromised for sure, political analyst Igor Botan states.