ADEPT | Gagauzia 2016 | Presidential 2016 | Elections 2015 | Bashkan 2015 | Gagauzia 2012 | Political Parties
The main trends in the presidential elections of 2016
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Between August 31 to September 9, 2016, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) registered 24 initiative groups in support of potential candidates for President of the Republic of Moldova. A competitor withdrew from the beginning from the electoral race saying he was “crushed by the system” and cited a number of irregularities committed by the power’s candidate in the process of collecting signatures for his registration. It is expected that many of the 23 potential candidates, especially independent ones, without the support of certain political parties will also not be able to collect the required number of at least 15 thousand signatures to be registered as candidates. Regardless of the number of candidates to be registered, their messages to citizens can be grouped into five major currents, more or less interspersed:
- Pro-Romanian, unionist
- Pro-European, governmental
- Pro-European, alternative
- Pro-Eurasian
- The single decree
All five currents aim at overcoming the crisis of the last two years, the difference laying in the approaches to be used.
The unionist current is pleading for a reunification with Romania under historic and international law following the example of German reunification in 1990. It considers Moldova a failed state, with no prospects for development. In this regard, it underlines the primacy of the people to be happy over the right to live in an independent state which is incapable of ensuring citizens’ happiness. They believe to have an electoral pool of at least 30%.
The pro-European, governmental current is pleading for the European integration of Moldova. As priority should be the implementation of the Association Agreement Moldova — European Union, and believe that in 2019 is realistic to submit the application for Moldova’s accession to the EU. They insist on steadily overcoming the political and economic crisis which started in 2014. In this respect, it insists on bringing stability and annihilate the protest that erupted after the announcement of banking system frauds. It relies mostly on government and public officials.
The pro-European, alternative current is also pleading for European integration. They insists on strengthening state institutions, freeing them from oligarchs captivity. Considers depoliticizing law and regulatory institutions as the alpha and omega of building the rule of law, without which European integration is impossible. It looks for support among the protest movement and among large segments of the population who have suffered from the crisis caused by banking system frauds.
The pro-Eurasian current advocates for restoration of Moldova’s collaboration with Russian Federation and Economic Union. It considers that the Association Agreement with the EU was poorly negotiated. Therefore, Moldovan agricultural products can not yet meet the standards of the Community market but have already lost the Russian Federation market. Promises to undertake efforts to revise or cancel the Association Agreement with EU and progress on Moldova’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union. Promotes Transnistrian settlement, including through federalization of Moldova. Advocates for a federation model that would guarantee the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova while diminishing separatist tendencies and risks. It enjoys the support of a relative majority of the Moldovan population, especially of the minorities and “moldovenists” — a segment of the local population for whom the distinction between Romanians and Moldovans is crucial.
The single decree is the unique original current. It promotes the idea that the president elected in direct elections of October 30 should be a President with one decree. The election campaign is to be conducted in such a manner that the elected President will have popular mandate for the dissolution of the Parliament and calling early parliamentary elections. This is the only quick and legitimate way for the country to get rid of clans that seized state institutions. Early parliamentary elections would be the equivalent of a Constituent Assembly that would draft a new constitution to the readjustment of state institutions and country’s reintegration. In this way it would be created the IV Republic.