Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CHISINAU1455
2007-12-13 07:54:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Chisinau
Cable title:
"WHAT CAN WE DO?" FRUSTRATED ANTI-COMMUNISTS WILL BLOCKADE
how-toVZCZCXRO0667 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHCH #1455 3470754 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 130754Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6005 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS CHISINAU 001455
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/AE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MD
SUBJECT: "WHAT CAN WE DO?" FRUSTRATED ANTI-COMMUNISTS WILL BLOCKADE
LOCAL ELECTION
REFS: A. Chisinau 1380, B. Chisinau 1155, C. Chisinau 990, D.
Chisinau 866
Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
UNCLAS CHISINAU 001455
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/AE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MD
SUBJECT: "WHAT CAN WE DO?" FRUSTRATED ANTI-COMMUNISTS WILL BLOCKADE
LOCAL ELECTION
REFS: A. Chisinau 1380, B. Chisinau 1155, C. Chisinau 990, D.
Chisinau 866
Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
1. (SBU) Summary: Frustrated by ruling-party machinations that have
excluded a popular, twice-reelected mayor from running again,
democratic activists in the town of Buteni are planning to boycott
and blockade the fourth-round election on December 16. We are
advising restraint and sending an unofficial observer. We are also
deeply concerned about the challenge to electoral freedom. End
summary.
Popular Town Mayor Can't Win for Winning
--------------
2. (SBU) Anatolie Postolachi, born in 1972, served two successful
terms (1999-2007) as an independent mayor of Buteni, a town of 3,500
which lies 30 km southwest of Chisinau. He improved roads, arranged
telephone and gas connections, and started preschool food programs.
To run for a third four-year term in June's elections, he was
required by law to become a member of a political party, and so
joined the centrist Our Moldova Alliance (AMN). He won handily in
the June 3 first round, and by a two-to-one margin in the July 1
rerun, called after the losing Communist Party (PCRM) candidate
successfully accused Postolachi of corruption. (The charge was that
Postolachi used his own car and cell phone in the campaign.)
Voters Block Third Vote, Threaten Fourth
--------------
3. (U) A further appeal by the PCRM led to a court cancellation of
the July 1 election and to a third round, on October 14. Despite a
Central Election Commission (CEC) decision allowing Postolachi to
run, the Court of Appeals excluded him from the voting list.
Postolachi's supporters peacefully blockaded the polling station on
October 14 and forced yet another round of voting, on December 16.
For the December 16 vote, only the PCRM candidate and two others
(who received fewer than 100 votes each in earlier rounds) will be
on the ballot.
Frustrated, Angry Voters: "What Can We Do?"
--------------
4. (SBU) A clearly frustrated trio of Buteni voters visited us on
December 11 to vent their frustrations and to threaten further
direct action to prevent voters from approaching the polling station
on December 16. They described family feuds over the issue, a
febrile atmosphere in the town, and heavy-handed PCRM influence over
the courts. They pointed out that the Hincesti raion (district),in
which Buteni lies, is the country's largest raion controlled by
non-Communists, and is the latest focus of ongoing PCRM efforts to
win back lost raions by manipulating elections or packing the
candidate list. The three agreed that a second attempt to block
voters could look undemocratic, and might provoke a violent response
from police under orders from frustrated Communist Party officials.
However, they concluded, "What else can we do?" (Note: They hinted
that anti-Communists might turn out as a pitchfork brigade. At
their request, we are sending an unofficial observer to watch the
opening of polls on Sunday, and will report septel. End note.)
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) In the first few months after the June elections, when the
PCRM lost control of two thirds of the raions (ref D),including
Hincesti, the ruling party for the most part licked its wounds
quietly, and let the anti-Communist coalitions carry on with
business (refs B and C). Only President Voronin's comments, made in
the summer, about favoring PCRM-run raions in the distribution of
funds from Chisinau, broke the general calm. The November 18
election in Rezina (ref A),in which the PCRM regained control of a
northern raion, and the upcoming election in Buteni indicate that
the gloves are slowly coming off in the PCRM's campaign to regain
power. The ruling party's budget squeeze on Chisinau Mayor
Chirtoaca is another sign of the PCRM's unhappiness with its loss of
power in the raions and its willingness to employ underhanded
tactics to regain its political predominance. We are pleased that
the Central Election Commission has been willing to oppose the
government, but recognize that it does not have the power, in and of
itself, to reverse what increasingly looks like an ominous trend.
Kirby
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/AE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MD
SUBJECT: "WHAT CAN WE DO?" FRUSTRATED ANTI-COMMUNISTS WILL BLOCKADE
LOCAL ELECTION
REFS: A. Chisinau 1380, B. Chisinau 1155, C. Chisinau 990, D.
Chisinau 866
Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
1. (SBU) Summary: Frustrated by ruling-party machinations that have
excluded a popular, twice-reelected mayor from running again,
democratic activists in the town of Buteni are planning to boycott
and blockade the fourth-round election on December 16. We are
advising restraint and sending an unofficial observer. We are also
deeply concerned about the challenge to electoral freedom. End
summary.
Popular Town Mayor Can't Win for Winning
--------------
2. (SBU) Anatolie Postolachi, born in 1972, served two successful
terms (1999-2007) as an independent mayor of Buteni, a town of 3,500
which lies 30 km southwest of Chisinau. He improved roads, arranged
telephone and gas connections, and started preschool food programs.
To run for a third four-year term in June's elections, he was
required by law to become a member of a political party, and so
joined the centrist Our Moldova Alliance (AMN). He won handily in
the June 3 first round, and by a two-to-one margin in the July 1
rerun, called after the losing Communist Party (PCRM) candidate
successfully accused Postolachi of corruption. (The charge was that
Postolachi used his own car and cell phone in the campaign.)
Voters Block Third Vote, Threaten Fourth
--------------
3. (U) A further appeal by the PCRM led to a court cancellation of
the July 1 election and to a third round, on October 14. Despite a
Central Election Commission (CEC) decision allowing Postolachi to
run, the Court of Appeals excluded him from the voting list.
Postolachi's supporters peacefully blockaded the polling station on
October 14 and forced yet another round of voting, on December 16.
For the December 16 vote, only the PCRM candidate and two others
(who received fewer than 100 votes each in earlier rounds) will be
on the ballot.
Frustrated, Angry Voters: "What Can We Do?"
--------------
4. (SBU) A clearly frustrated trio of Buteni voters visited us on
December 11 to vent their frustrations and to threaten further
direct action to prevent voters from approaching the polling station
on December 16. They described family feuds over the issue, a
febrile atmosphere in the town, and heavy-handed PCRM influence over
the courts. They pointed out that the Hincesti raion (district),in
which Buteni lies, is the country's largest raion controlled by
non-Communists, and is the latest focus of ongoing PCRM efforts to
win back lost raions by manipulating elections or packing the
candidate list. The three agreed that a second attempt to block
voters could look undemocratic, and might provoke a violent response
from police under orders from frustrated Communist Party officials.
However, they concluded, "What else can we do?" (Note: They hinted
that anti-Communists might turn out as a pitchfork brigade. At
their request, we are sending an unofficial observer to watch the
opening of polls on Sunday, and will report septel. End note.)
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) In the first few months after the June elections, when the
PCRM lost control of two thirds of the raions (ref D),including
Hincesti, the ruling party for the most part licked its wounds
quietly, and let the anti-Communist coalitions carry on with
business (refs B and C). Only President Voronin's comments, made in
the summer, about favoring PCRM-run raions in the distribution of
funds from Chisinau, broke the general calm. The November 18
election in Rezina (ref A),in which the PCRM regained control of a
northern raion, and the upcoming election in Buteni indicate that
the gloves are slowly coming off in the PCRM's campaign to regain
power. The ruling party's budget squeeze on Chisinau Mayor
Chirtoaca is another sign of the PCRM's unhappiness with its loss of
power in the raions and its willingness to employ underhanded
tactics to regain its political predominance. We are pleased that
the Central Election Commission has been willing to oppose the
government, but recognize that it does not have the power, in and of
itself, to reverse what increasingly looks like an ominous trend.
Kirby