Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHISINAU216
2009-03-20 15:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Chisinau
Cable title:  

VORONIN BELIEVES NDI IS FOMENTING PRO-

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM MD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5704
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHCH #0216 0791507
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201507Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7769
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000216 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM MD
SUBJECT: VORONIN BELIEVES NDI IS FOMENTING PRO-
ROMANIAN UNIFICATION DEMONSTRATIONS TO BE HELD
MARCH 27

Classified by: Ambassador Asif J. Chaudhry for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

Ref A: Chisinau 212

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000216

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM MD
SUBJECT: VORONIN BELIEVES NDI IS FOMENTING PRO-
ROMANIAN UNIFICATION DEMONSTRATIONS TO BE HELD
MARCH 27

Classified by: Ambassador Asif J. Chaudhry for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

Ref A: Chisinau 212


1. (C) Summary: Following discussions of 2-plus-1
and Transnistria, the Ambassador raised the issue
of NDI in his March 19 meeting with President
Voronin (ref A). Anticipating that NDI would be
raised, Voronin took from his desk a "fresh" intel
report dated March 19 and read it to us. The
report cited a website "27martie.wordpress.com"
which, according to the report, was calling for a
series of large demonstrations to celebrate
Unification Day (March 27, 1918, was the date of
Bessarabia's unification with Romania),right
during the election campaign. The report had
determined that organizational activities for this
event were being carried out in Timisoara,
Romania.


2. (C) According to the intelligence information
provided to Voronin, an NDI expert was involved in
the organization of this event, and had traveled
to Timosoara, where he had a series of meetings;
at the same time, a second NDI expert went to
Kyiv. The first was an "expert in manipulating
youth," while the second was an "expert in
directing the activities of political leaders."
The report further charged that the plan involved
manipulation of Moldovan students in Romania, as
the Moldovan students would serve as a shield for
helping Romanian students cross the border. The
final goal of this interference, suggested the
intel report read by Voronin, was stimulation of
the pro-unification element during the electoral
campaign. Saying that he did not want any
destabilizing events, Voronin asked Ambassador to
react.


3. (C) The Ambassador responded that he was "truly
stunned" and said that he would have to see proof
that something had happened, questioning whether
the supposed travelers had been expats or locals.
Ambassador then noted that NDI and IRI have very
clear mandates to educate participants in
democratic principles, and could not believe that
NDI as an organization would be involved in
anything like this. The Ambassador added that if,
in fact, an NDI employee had traveled to Timisoara
for the purpose alleged in the report in their
personal capacity, that should not taint the name
or reputation of NDI. President Voronin said he
would follow the ongoing investigation of this
incident and requested the Ambassador to look into
this as well.


4. (C) Comment: The bizarre accusation lodged
against NDI had an air of unreality, leaving us
with the need to prove the impossibility of the
absurd. If Voronin truly believes reports like
this from his intelligence services, there is
little wonder that he is skeptical about NDI and
reluctant to renew its permission to stay in
country. The website "27martie.wordpress.com"
does exist, and it does indeed call for a massive
pro-unification demonstration to be held in
Chisinau on March 27, but there is no logical link
between this demonstration and NDI. With
information like this in Voronin's hands, NDI's
problems in Moldova are still far from being
solved. NDI has informed us that the traveler to
Timisoara was a Serb national who has been working
in-country as an elections long-term observer
(LTO) since last summer. The LTO was picked up by
family members and driven to Serbia.

CHAUDHRY