Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHISINAU492
2009-06-25 14:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Chisinau
Cable title:  

VORONIN HEARS POINTS ON ELECTIONS, TIP

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM KTIP RO MD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8871
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHCH #0492/01 1761407
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 251407Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8094
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CHISINAU 000492 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM KTIP RO MD
SUBJECT: VORONIN HEARS POINTS ON ELECTIONS, TIP
AND MEDIA PROGRESS NEEDED FOR MCC COMPACT

REFS: (A) Chisinau 449 (B) Chisinau 465 (C)
Chisinau 375

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CHISINAU 000492

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM KTIP RO MD
SUBJECT: VORONIN HEARS POINTS ON ELECTIONS, TIP
AND MEDIA PROGRESS NEEDED FOR MCC COMPACT

REFS: (A) Chisinau 449 (B) Chisinau 465 (C)
Chisinau 375

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


1. (C) Summary: In a June 25 meeting, the
Ambassador informed President Voronin about the
MCC Board of Directors' discussions on Moldova at
their June 10 meeting. The Ambassador explained
that instead of going ahead with approving the
Investment Memo at their next meeting, the MCC
Board had asked for a report to their September
meeting on Moldova's progress in four key areas:
NDI-IRI registration, TIP, fair elections, and
media freedom. The Ambassador stressed that
Moldova now had an opportunity to take positive
steps in these areas. He noted some assistance
the USG could provide for reforming media and
conduct of elections, but underlined that
registration of NDI and IRI was entirely up to the
GOM. End Summary

MCC Board Wants a Report on Moldovan Developments
-------------- --------------


2. (C) In a meeting on June 25, Ambassador
Chaudhry (accompanied by Pol/Econ Chief) told
President Voronin that he was disappointed that it
had taken two weeks from the embassy's initial
request to have this meeting scheduled. The
Ambassador had initially hoped to meet with the
President before the June 10 meeting of MCC's
Board of Directors. The Ambassador had made
points to Foreign Minister Stratan (ref A) and
Prime Minister Greceanii (ref B),but wanted the
president to be aware personally of what needed to
be done. The Ambassador explained that recent
post-electoral events had created a negative
impression of Moldova abroad. He noted that
members of the MCC board (which included
government and private sector members) included
the Chairman of IRI, and Secretary Hillary
Clinton, who was very close to NDI Chair Madeleine
Albright. The very same week that the MCC Board
meeting was scheduled to make important decisions
on Moldova's compact, the GOM had denied IRI's
registration, and the previous week had denied
NDI.



3. (C) The President noted that he had made three
international trips in the past week, and asserted
that it would have looked wrong had he met with
the American Ambassador in the days before he
travelled to Moscow -- as if he were taking
instructions from the USG. He then asked
anxiously about the MCC's decision. The
Ambassador explained that, instead of agreeing to
go ahead with approving the Investment Memo at the
Board's next meeting, the Board had required that
a report be prepared for its September meeting to
address Moldova's actions on the following four
issues: (1) NDI-IRI registration; (2) a signal
that things were getting better on TIP; (3) extent
to which elections were democratic, transparent
and fair; and (4) media freedom. The Ambassador
hoped the President would cooperate on taking
actions necessary for providing a positive
response on these issues.

Ambassador Met with Deputy Prime Minister on TIP
-------------- ---


4. (C) The Ambassador informed the President that
the previous day (June 24) he had met with newly
appointed Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Rosca to
discuss trafficking in persons. The Ambassador
said that he had been very impressed and that this
was one of the best meetings he had ever had in
terms of Rosca's willingness to address problems.
In preparation for their meeting Rosca had read
the TIP report. The two discussed steps needed
for Moldova to create a more positive image of its
efforts to address the trafficking problem.

Experts to Make Recommendations on Media Freedoms
-------------- --------------


5. (C) When Voronin and the Ambassador last met on
May 18 (ref C) the two had agreed that the USG

CHISINAU 00000492 002 OF 003


would provide independent media experts to study
the current situation and make recommendations on
how to improve media freedom. The Ambassador
informed the President that money had been
allocated and that the experts would soon begin
with their analysis, starting with Teleradio
Moldova. Voronin asked that the report be held
until after the elections. The Ambassador told
Voronin that we had no plans to make the results
public during the campaign period and that the
results of this study would be only for the GOM to
use in making reforms.

Improvements Needed in Upcoming Elections
--------------


6. (C) The Ambassador spoke of the need for voter
education, and progress with the voters' lists,
and said that the international community would be
working with the CEC on better ways to tabulate
the votes to increase public confidence.
President Voronin assured the Ambassador of his
intention to do everything possible to ensure the
correct political environment for the electoral
campaign. Voronin pointed out that although the
opposition had charged fraud in the April 5
elections, they had failed to offer any evidence.
He complained that only those who did not love
their country would wish to force repeated
elections again and again. The President then
said that he would like to have as many
international observers present as possible. The
Ambassador said that the USG would be trying to
fund a European organization that would provide
additional elections observers.

Importance of Registration of IRI and NDI
--------------


7. (C) The Ambassador noted that the USG could
offer some support on the first three issues where
MCC required progress, but that the fourth issue,
registration for NDI and IRI, was completely up to
the GOM. The Ambassador reminded the Moldovan
president that he had promised NDI Director Ken
Wallach, that if NDI Country Director Alex
Grigorijevs were to leave the country, the GOM
would be willing to register the organization.
The Ambassador argued that Moldova needed to send
a positive signal to the MCC Board, and have
positive news in all four areas. President
Voronin listened to the Ambassador's presentation
and promised to consider his argument. He then
jokingly suggested waiting until after July 29,
when Marian Lupu would become president and
letting him solve the issue.

Lupu's "Betrayal" Caused Moral Pain
--------------


8. (C) Leaning forward and saying he would share a
secret, President Voronin claimed that Marian Lupu
was already Speaker when he had entered the party
"behind the president's back." Voronin said he
only found out about Lupu's membership when, as
head of the party he was asked to sign Lupu's
membership card. At first he hesitated, but then
thought that if the Speaker of Parliament wanted
membership, then so be it. He said that he did
not want the party to be used for climbing the
career ladder. During the fifteen years since
the party had been established, they had never
been betrayed, until Lupu was the first to do so.
Voronin said that the party was working on its
campaign, and had not been damaged a lot by Lupu's
defection. Instead, Voronin noted with some
sadness, that he had personally supported Lupu's
career development and thus this defection caused
him personal moral pain.


9. (C) Voronin noted that former Prime Minister
Tarlev and current Prime Minister Greceanii were
never members of the Communist Party, neither
since independence nor in the Soviet period. He
explained that the etymological meaning of the
word party was that it represented only a part of
the society. Moldova had 34 parties, and the
president had never intended his government to
represent only his own party, but rather believed
the GOM should be comprised of people with

CHISINAU 00000492 003 OF 003


technical competence. He took some offense that
Europeans kept referring to his party as
Communists, noting that his regime should be
appreciated for its accomplishments, not its
label. When Voronin came to power in 2001, 84
percent of Moldova's trade went to Russia and the
CIS states. Now, he said, the data for 2008
showed that the balance had shifted, as 51 percent
of Moldova's trade was with the EU, while only 34
percent went to Russia and the CIS, with 13
percent to other countries.

Need to Improve Relations with Romania
--------------


10. (C) President Voronin agreed with the
Ambassador's comment that Moldova's relationship
with Romania should be improved. He cited as an
accomplishment the fact that in 2001 Romania was
fourth on Moldova's list of trading partners, but
by 2008 Romania had become Moldova's number- one
trading partner. It was very significant for
Moldova that trade with Romania was registered as
trade with the EU. Voronin said that Moldova
valued its trade with Romania, but noted that he
would not accept removing the visa requirement for
Romanians until Moldova received a visa-free
regime for the EU. Voronin viewed Romania's
decision to offer passports to citizens of Moldova
for travel to Europe as a "very aggressive measure
that could lead to destruction of the state."
Voronin asked the U.S. to use its political
influence in the EU to help Moldova resolve this
problem.

Comment
--------------


11. (C) The GOM is well aware of the importance of
these four issues for the USG. While
depoliticizing the public broadcaster, Teleradio
Moldova, could be a lengthy process, registration
for NDI and IRI could be achieved with the stroke
of a pen. The Embassy will be pursuing TIP issues
with Deputy Prime Minister Rosca and has scheduled
a DVC on these issues in the coming days. It is
in Moldova's interest to improve its record on
media freedoms and electoral transparency, both to
enhance its democratic development and to improve
its image in the world. MCC has now added yet
another reason for the GOM to take these issues
seriously. We will continue our efforts on all
four fronts in the hopes that the GOM will
demonstrate some positive actions between now and
September.

CHAUDHRY