Zinaida Greceanii remains Communists’ candidate for head of state

Former Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii remains the candidate for president of the Communist Party (PCRM). She will run in the rerun vote on May 28 as she did not poll the necessary number of votes to become president in the May 20 election, Info-Prim Neo reports. The PCRM leader, Speaker of Parliament and outgoing president of Moldova Vladimir Voronin spoke about this after the special parliamentary sitting. He said that the PCRM keeps Zinaida Greceanii and will choose one more candidate within three days. Voronin said he is sure that a new president will be elected at the rerun election. Asked if we will have a new head of state or their will be return elections, Voronin said: “Certainly we will have a president. You have a president today. Aren’t you satisfied with this president?” It is not yet known if academician Stanislav Groppa will run again. According to Vladimir Voronin, the PCRM fielded Groppa in order to observe the Law on the Election of the President, which says that there should be an alternative candidate. Asked why none of the 15 MPs that put up Groppa voted for him, Voronin said. “We gave our 60 votes and hoped there will be one more vote so that we could choose the head of state. This does not mean that we do not respect him.” Vladimir Voronin also said that today’s result was expected and that he was not angry with the Opposition. “Everyone has the right to choose. This is the behavior of someone that does not bear responsibility for serious problems, for the development of the state and for the whole country,” the outgoing president said. “Unfortunately, many of those that form part of our Opposition behaved like this during all the years of Moldova’s independence. They answered for nothing and did nothing for the country. They devised good privatization and land apportionment programs, were involved in criminal and corruption activities and created this hydra. Of course they do not want to answer for anything. They are not satisfied with the power that demands and maintains order. They do not need such a power. These are the answers to all the questions,” Vladimir Voronin told the reporters. He stressed that the PCRM will not negotiate with the Opposition, but is ready to discuss. “I consider that negotiations are held at international level, but inside the country, with our colleagues in the Parliament we must have discussions on what to do next. A very serious economic crisis is approaching and all these games of the Opposition are very dangerous for the whole country. “If we fail today to fulfill the budget and solve certain economic problems, if the Parliament does not work and does not adopt laws, if the Government does not have the right to approve decisions, including about the staff, we will have to face serious consequences. This is what worries me today the most, not the Opposition’s games,” Vladimir Voronin explained. Asked to comment on the AMN leader Serafim Urecheanu’s statement that the Opposition parties were not consulted about the proposed candidates, which is not in accordance with the Parliament’s Regulation, Voronin said: “Let them go to Globa (Pavel Globa, astrologer – e.n.) for consultations, not to us. He needs Globa”. On May 20, the Parliament did not manage to elect the head of state. Zinaida Greceanii obtained 60 votes of the 61 required. All the votes were cast by the Communist MPs. The Opposition did not take part in the election. Stanislav Groppa won no vote.