The electoral prospects of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) become gloomy. Such a conclusion can be reached based on the statements made by President Igor Dodon in the talk show “Politics of Natalia Morari” broadcast by TV8 channel on October 25, 2018. Indeed, what is the reason for which the holder of the supreme post in the state, the informal leader of the party with the highest rating should start to speak about the possible non-recognition of the results of the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019? The most probable answer is – anticipation of the justifications for an eventual resounding defeat of the PSRM. It is not about a simple defeat resulting from the volatile preferences of voters, but about a defeat forged with the own hands.
What do the PSRM and its leader Igor Dodon lack for a victorious parliamentary campaign? They have everything:
- Large financial resources with sponsorships of tens of millions of lei (only officially) from persons who donate sums that exceed their declared incomes several times to the beloved party;
- A considerable media holding based on one of the most popular Russian TV channels that distorts the reality, reflecting only the viewpoints that are favorable to the PSRM and its informal leader;
- Two charitable foundations – SOLUTION and FROM THE HEART – that explore the conditioned reflexes of the disfavored sections of society and that, contrary to the Christian doctrine, convert goodwill into political advertising for the PSRM and its informal leader;
- The supreme post in the state that enabled Igor Dodon to transform the Presidential Office into a kind of electoral agency of the PSRM, offering coverage to the Foundation “Form the Heart” for the nontransparent collection of funds all over the world. As it was noted, the given resources are used to convert goodwill into party advertising. That’s why, in its current state, the presidential instruction has no other justification than that of electoral agency of the PSRM;
- The open support of the most influential regional leaders – Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – who influence directly the electoral behavior of a very wide segment of voters, especially of those for whom Igor Dodon’s public eulogy of the political regimes in Russia and Turkey is an indicator of affiliation to a particular set of values;
- The open support of the Orthodox Church that contributed decisively to the victory of the Socialist leader in the presidential elections even if Igor Dodon in 2010 insisted on being handed over the Communist card on the birthday and near the monument of the most prominent atheist who ever existed – Lenin. Nevertheless, bishops of the Orthodox Church, instead of guiding the people on the paths of God, became involved in forming and promoting a political idol (Constitutional Court request No.5);
- The highest rating that transforms the PSRM into a dominant party owing to the aforementioned factors;
- An electoral system designed and promoted by the informal leader of the PSRM Igor Dodon himself, which is exceptionally favorable namely to the dominant party
Despite all the above-mentioned advantages, we see that the informal leader of the PSRM Igor Dodon started to speak about the existence of reasons for the eventual non-recognition of the results of the parliamentary elections. Even if this is paradoxical, the President seems to be right! If the PSRM in the mentioned conditions also won the elections, these would be fit for being declared invalid as 40 of the 45 political parties registered in the Republic of Moldova would have reasons to say that the conditions in which the PSRM works are factors that fundamentally distort the principle of equal conditions for a fair electoral competition.
On the other hand, if the informal leader of the PSRM is dissatisfied with the conditions in which the elections are to be held, we should understand that there are political parties that have conditions and resources that are more significant than those of the PSRM by the impact they can have. If this is so and the mentioned supposition is right, the President should tell us straightforwardly what those parties are and what kind of special resources they have. Isn’t it about the parties that, as the PSRM, have financial resources from obscure sources, convert goodwill into political propaganda, use the public institutions for party purposes, own propagandistic media holdings, etc.? This is probably so and Igor Dodon thus avoids naming them.
If he named them, he who is a declared friend of Orthodoxy would be accused of hypocrisy as he does not see the own defects. A key question thus appears – in what way will the mixed electoral system promoted by the PSRM with the intention of benefiting from this can help this party? The given question was already answered by the Vance Commission that, in its opinions, said the mixed system is favorable to parties with a high rating only when the elections are free and fair. If the elections are not free and fair, the given system serves the interests of those with sacks of money, holders of scissors for cutting ribbons, etc.
Instead of conclusion, we can dare to remind President Igor Dodon that things never turn out as planned. However, if he made a mistake, he should not fall into despair as he showed not only once that he is the master of political compromises. Evidently, in the public interest, for the sake of political stability, as he showed on March 16, 2012.
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