COMMUNIST MP TURCAN READY TO LEAVE THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000927 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UMB E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID PINR MD SUBJECT: COMMUNIST MP TURCAN READY TO LEAVE THE PCRM FACTION AND TAKE MP GROUP WITH HIM Classified by: Ambassador Asif J. Chaudhry for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a December 1 meeting with the Ambassador, PCRM MP Vladimir Turcan said that he was ready to leave the Communist party faction and claimed to have a group of at least six MPs who would leave with him to establish a new political party. He described a meeting of the PCRM inner circle earlier that day, in which he had worked to convince Voronin that the PCRM should vote for Alliance candidate Marian Lupu for President. Turcan believed that there was still a significant chance that Voronin would decide to let the PCRM vote for the Presidency, as he knew that otherwise a PCRM split was in the making. Turcan expressed doubts about whether the Alliance would stand firm behind Lupu, and noted that Filat needed a guarantee that he would not be removed as Prime Minister if Lupu were elected. Turcan planned to meet with Filat and hoped to help increase the level of trust between Lupu and Filat. End Summary PCRM to Decide on Voting or Turcan to Quit Faction -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) On December 1, PCRM MP Vladimir Turcan told the Ambassador that earlier in the day he had presented his memorandum on principles for cooperation with the non-Communist Alliance to a meeting of the PCRM Political Executive Committee. He said that he had spoken on behalf of himself, former Deputy Prime Minister Stepaniuc and a group of deputies and spent the bulk of this meeting trying to convince PCRM party leader Vladimir Voronin that the party should vote for Lupu as President on December 7. ¶3. (C) The party meeting had concluded that it was necessary to urgently hold a plenary session of the PCRM Central Committee to discuss the question of whether all 48 PCRM deputies should participate in the Presidential voting on December 7. The Party would decide on whether or not to vote and whoever did not agree would quit the faction. Turcan thought there was still a good chance his position would be supported by the party, but acknowledged the possibility that his group might remain a minority voice in the Central Committee plenum. He said that no matter what was decided in the plenum, he was ready to leave the PCRM faction. Uncertainty about Voronin's Position -------------- ¶4. (C) Turcan said that during the December 1 party meeting, Voronin had stuck firmly to his decision not to participate in the presidential voting. However, Turcan believed that there was still a "pretty high" chance that Voronin would eventually decide that all PCRM deputies should participate in the voting. Turcan noted that Voronin knew he was getting ready to establish a new party, and thought this might help bring him around. Doubts About Alliance Solidarity -------------- ¶5. (C) Turcan suggested that one key principle for cooperation should be that if the PCRM votes for Lupu, the Democratic Party and AMN should vote with them on replacing Ghimpu as Speaker. He would seek to have the PCRM, Lupu and Urechean sign such an agreement. The Ambassador pointed out that until this point Lupu has consistently ruled out the idea of eliminating Ghimpu as Speaker and reminded Turcan that without the Liberal Party's agreement, this would not be an agreement with the Alliance. Turcan took this comment on board, but remained concerned that if Lupu was not elected as President, then Ghimpu would continue on as Acting-President. ¶6. (C) Turcan said that Voronin doubted Alliance solidarity and believed that even if he gathered the necessary eight PCRM votes to support Lupu, then some MPs from Filat's PLDM or even someone from AMN would not vote for Lupu. Turcan said that he intended to meet with AMN leader Serafim Urechean. Turcan had met with AMN Deputy Vecheslav Untila earlier that day (December 1). He knew that there were some problems between Urechean and Untila and hoped for assurances of solidarity within AMN. ¶7. (C) Turcan had been in touch with Filat and had met with him. On Friday November 27, after Lupu gave an interview to TV-7 in which he indirectly blamed Filat for the meat monopoly scandal, Filat called Turcan and was upset. The three were supposed to meet, but Filat wanted Lupu to apologize first. Turcan's Group and Party Plans -------------- ¶8. (C) Turcan said that he had a group of at least six PCRM deputies who would leave the party faction with him to form a new party. He mentioned former Deputy Prime Minister Victor Stepaniuc, Valentin Guznac, Svetlana Popa, Aliona Babiuc and Ludmila Belcencova as MPs who were with him. Turcan said that he would meet with former Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii on Dec 2 to resolve whether she would join his group. She had early said that if the PCRM did not decide that the entire party would vote for Lupu, then she was prepared to leave the party faction. Turcan thought it possible Stoicov, and maybe even Calin would also join him. Turcan said he had information that some people from the districts (raions) around the country would also leave the PCRM with them. ¶9. (C) Turcan said that his new party would support leftist-centrist principles. He said he had an agreement with Lupu to cooperate and go in parallel directions, and that he also had an agreement with Filat to cooperate. He joked that Voronin had even proposed the name for his party, suggesting it should be the Socialist Labor Party. Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) December 7 will be a critical test for Turcan, and a decisive moment for Moldova. Turcan holds an important key to Moldova's future in his hands and what he does will affect his country. If he boldly walks to the voting booth in full view of all assembled TV cameras, he has the power to help ensure that a President is elected. If he takes this step and his group follows him, he will split the PCRM faction, dealing a serious blow to the ability of the Communists to ever regain power. If Turcan plays his card right, he can dramatically affect Moldova's political course. ¶11. (C) Turcan is not a Communist Party member, but is an MP on the party list, and thus member of the PCRM faction in Parliament. His break with the PCRM faction has been a long time in coming. Though he has been flirting with making this break for some time, he has also been hesitating. Moldova will be watching now on December 7 to see what he actually does and whether he takes the critical step to cross the line to the voting booth. CHAUDHRY