A part of the voters of ex-candidate for President Renato Usatyi, being of pro-Russian orientation, would vote for Igor Dodon, while another part will not go to vote in the runoff , psychologist and philosopher Sorin Scutelnic, professor of the State University of Moldova, stated in IPN’s public debate “To Whom and to What voters of candidates who didn’t reach runoff migrate?”.
According to him, Renato Usatyi could very well mobilize an alternative to the power in Chisinau. “He gathered together persons who look in the same direction, many of whom are not satisfied with the administrative, political force of Chisinau. The element of corruption was the essence of frustrations. Regrettably, Renato Usatyi didn’t come up with a sufficiently convincing project for solving particular problems faced in society,” he stated.
As to the voters of Violeta Ivanov and the criteria according to which these will vote, Sorin Scutelnic said the primary needs of this group of people were exploited in the first round of voting, in particular through the chain of social stores designed to support the pensioners and other persons affected by poverty. “Ilan Shor managed to attract a type of voters who are rather similar to the voters of Igor Dodon in terms of traditions, primarily rural place of residence, thinking, age. I presume a part will migrate to Dodon and it depends on him if he manages to keep these voters.”
As to the supporters of Andrei Năstase, Sorin Scutelnic said there are particular tensions here as two personalities with rather powerful egos cooperated. His voters will go to Maia Sandu as these voters are rather close to each other. Furthermore, in the political confrontations between the two, Maia Sandu was more calculated and more attentive and could maintain a more neutral line.
Tudor Deliu was supported by many because he is the representative of a party that had been earlier rather powerful, but the expectations were bigger. Tudor Deliu was a rather passive personage and society does not know him sufficiently well and voted for him owing to his affiliated to the PLDM.
The unionists are a very well formed electoral segment with famous personalities who support this course. “These are the voters of unmet expectations as the unionist leitmotif has been present for tens of years in society in the Republic of Moldova. These voters support Maia Sandu, but she should be very attentive not to reject other categories of voters with views about the future of this society,” stated Sorin Scutelnic.
He noted the diaspora realized its potential in the first round of voting despite the pandemic situation in the host countries. “The voters in the West realized that by their maturity, after contacting with other cultures, societies, they can change things in the country. I anticipate they will mobilize more and will follow the pro-Maia Sandu direction.”
The debate “To Whom and to What voters of candidates who didn’t reach runoff migrate?” was the seventh installment of the electoral cycle “We and the President: who elects who, who represents who” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
