NON-COMMUNIST COALITION MOVING FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 000634

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM EAID MD
SUBJECT: NON-COMMUNIST COALITION MOVING FORWARD
WITH PLANS FOR NEW GOVERNMENT

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


1. (C) Summary: Since the public announcement
August 8 of the formation of the four-party non-
Communist coalition, the group's leaders have been
focusing their efforts on putting together a new
government. They have agreed to nominate Filat
for Speaker, Lupu for President and to let the
Liberal party nominate the Prime Minister. The
group has appointed a committee with
representatives from each party to make
recommendations about candidates for ministerial
positions. The coalition leaders are considering
options for governmental restructuring and, in
particular, are looking at what to do about the
reportedly corruption-plagued Center for Combating
Economic Crime and Corruption. The Ambassador
suggested that the Embassy would try to bring the
USG specialist who had worked on reforming this
structure under the MCC Threshold program back to
Chisinau for expert consultations on this issue.
End Summary.

Coalition Putting Together its Government
--------------


2. (C) In an August 10 meeting, Liberal Democratic
Party (PLDM) leader Vlad Filat told the Ambassador
that things are going well for the newly-formed
coalition. The four parties had agreed to
nominate Filat for Speaker, Marian Lupu for
President and to let the Liberal Party make the
choice of candidate for Prime Minister. The
Liberal Party was reportedly considering putting
forth the name of Grigorie Belostechnic, Director
of the Moldovan Academy for Economic Studies
(ASEM),for this slot.


3. (C) According to Filat, the group was now
looking at the larger list of positions to be
filled, and had begun developing policy papers.
The coalition had formed a larger group with 4-5
representatives from each party to discuss
concrete steps and names to propose.


4. (C) Filat said that he wanted to have the posts
of Minister of Finance, Foreign Minister, and the
Deputy Prime Minister that supervises the power
ministries (currently Iurie Rosca) for his own
party. Though the group had not discussed these
positions yet, Filat anticipated the possibility
of a disagreement with Lupu, who might seek to
have the Foreign Minister position for former
Ambassador to Germany Igor Korman, while Filat
hoped to have that spot for his own deputy, Iurie
Leanca. Filat indicated that the coalition could
consider keeping certain individuals from the
previous government, such as Finance Minister
Mariana Durlesteanu, who is not a member of any
political party.

What to do About Center for Combating Economic
Crime?
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5. (C) Filat confided that the coalition had been
discussing what to do about the Center for
Combating Economic Crime and Corruption (CCECC),
which itself was widely alleged to be corrupt.
Filat said that his own instinct was to eliminate
it, though the other option would be a complete
overhaul. The Ambassador told Filat that under
the MCC Threshold Program, Embassy had personnel
here working, inter alia, on the question of
reforming the CCECC. Filat expressed interest in
meeting with the American expert who had led this
program. Though the program has ended and that
expert has left the country, the Ambassador
promised to see if it would be possible to bring
him back to Chisinau for consultations.


6. (C) Filat repeated a line he had used in press
statements that those who committed crimes needed
to pay for their actions. While acknowledging
that it was probably not good press for the
coalition to make such threats, he said that he
was specifically referring to Minister of
Interior Georgiy Papuc. Filat said the deaths of

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three youths following the April 7 violence
continued to torment him, and he said he blamed
Papuc for letting this happen.

Filat to Seek Meeting with Voronin
--------------


7. (C) Filat said that he would try to meet with
Voronin after the President returned August 15
from his one-week vacation in Turkey. Filat said
he planned to meet on his own with Voronin, as
"Ghimpu would not be helpful," and Lupu "could be
an irritant." Filat planned to talk openly with
Voronin, telling him that he has no choice but to
relinquish power, and offering him guarantees.
Such guarantees would not be made for all members
of the previous GOM, but Filat said Voronin could
be assured he would not be prosecuted. When the
Ambassador asked about Voronin's son, Oleg (a very
wealthy businessman),Filat responded that while
there was no question Oleg had owned certain
businesses before his father came to power, it was
clear that Oleg had snatched away other businesses
which, Filat said, should be restored to their
rightful owners. Filat said he had a list of
specific names of such businesses that Oleg
Voronin had taken over.

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


8. (C) The four-party Coalition is showing signs
of political maturity in moving beyond personal
competition for top posts and on to discussing
options for creating a team that could actually
run the government. In addition they have begun
drafting position papers and analyzing their
options, and are acting like a transition team
thinking realistically about the tasks ahead.
However, it is important to note that the
coalition does not yet have the 61-vote presidency
in hand. The drama of electing a president and
then forming a government will not play out until
September, after the Parliament's initial session
convenes in late August.

CHAUDHRY