With Questionable Tactics, Communists Win Majority on

UNCLAS CHISINAU 001380

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL PINR MD
SUBJECT: With Questionable Tactics, Communists Win Majority on
Rezina Council


Sensitive But Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly.

REFS: A) Chisinau 1155, B) Chisinau 990 , C) Chisinau 866


1. (SBU) Summary: November 11 district council repeat elections in
Rezina saw a shift in power to the Communist Party. This victory
was assisted by apparent misuse of state power, threats, and
inducements. A disunited opposition is learning some hard lessons
as the electorate has begun to signal its displeasure with
opposition squabbling and failure to look after the people's
business. End summary.

Rezina Goes Narrowly Communist in Repeat Election
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2. (SBU) The raion (district) council elected in June had a narrow
majority of 17 non-Communist members to the Communist Party's (PCRM)

16. However, it never met, because the PCRM boycotted the first two
scheduled sessions, and the non-Communists boycotted the third.
Without two thirds of the members present at the first two meetings,
and without a simple majority at the third, the electoral code
requires new elections. On November 11, in repeat elections, the
PCRM added two seats, gaining a majority of 18 out of 33 seats.
Other winners, though on the margins, were the Social Liberals
(PSL),who increased their seats from four to six, and the National
Liberal Party (PNL),which went from none to two. Christian
Democrats stayed steady at three. The losers were the Our Moldova
Alliance (AMN),which dropped significantly from five to two seats,
the Democratic Party (PD),which dropped from three to one, and the
Liberal Party (PL) which went from one to none. (See chart below.)


June 3 November 11

PCRM 16 18
AMN 5 2
PD 3 1
PPCD 3 3
PL 1 0
PSL 4 6
PSD 1 1
PNL 0 2

Opposition Claims Communists Underhanded
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3. (SBU) Opposition figures claimed that the PCRM used the absence
of international observers to win the election by underhanded means.
According to our contacts, PM Tarlev visited the region on November
8 to make promises of subsidies to communities that voted for the
PCRM, and Parliament cancelled its November 10 plenary sitting to
allow PCRM deputies to campaign in the district, using their
official cars. In addition, some claimed, the PCRM surreptitiously
encouraged eight new fringe parties to participate in the latest
round and split the non-PCRM vote-a tactic it used in 2005
parliamentary elections, and was field testing for 2009. An
opposition MP told us that President Voronin had summoned all Rezina
mayors to his office and demanded that they ensure 60% of the votes
for the PCRM.

Opposition Recognizes Result of Failure to Unite
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4. (SBU) The non-Communist opposition in Rezina, unlike those in
some other raions (reftels),failed to unite, and have paid the
price. Some councilors, from other non-Communist parties, blame the
AMN for demanding more positions than their five councilors
warranted, and blocking cooperation by its refusal to negotiate.
Perhaps in response to events in Rezina, representatives of
opposition parties (AMN, the nascent social democratic alliance, and
the PD-PSL alliance) met in Chisinau on November 15 to start
negotiations on possible future collaboration. The PPCD did not
respond to the invitation.

Comment: So What Else is New?
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5. (SBU) Comment: Communists are cheating and the opposition is
squabbling rather than administering. Although Moldova's north is
its red belt and the swing to the PCRM was small, the swing was
enough to give the PCRM a majority, with which it should be able to
form a functioning raion council. Such success could encourage the
ruling party to try repeat performances, and further exploit
opposition failure to create united fronts. In the runup to 2009,
these factors could tip the scales back in favor of the PCRM.

Kirby