Official results of the parliamentary poll in Moldova

Official election results (announced on July 31st).

Voter turnout – 58.8% (needed: 33% plus 1 vote)

None of the other parties cleared the 5% threshold into the parliament.

The results represent a stark change from the last (regular) elections, as the Democratic Party now cleared the threshold gaining 12.5% of the vote and became the third opposition party of the country. This also means that the ruling Communist Party failed to gain a majority and the pro-Western democratic opposition parties are now in a position to form a government if they manage to come to an agreement. This holds especially as the Communists do not seem to have any potential coalition partners: their former partner, the Christian Democratic Party, failed to clear the threshold, while the parties that did gain enough votes have all stated they will not work with the Communists. However, the democrats will not be able to elect a President without some cooperation from the Communists, as they are 8 votes short (of the 61 needed) to do so.

Fraud allegations
Independent observers said the election met most international norms although there were instances of bias in the media, some voter intimidation and administrative irregularities. Despite the more favourable results for the opposition, some alleged widespread fraud and the Christian Democratic Party appealed to the Constitutional Court to contest the irregularities and demand a recount. On 4 August, however, the Court “declined the request because its authors did not present concrete incidents of violations of the Moldovan election codex”.

The Constitutional Court now has 10 days to confirm the results and name a date for the first sitting of parliament, expected by the end of this month.

A changed position for the Democratic Party
One of the biggest changes – apart from that experienced by the Communists – is for the Democratic Party. While not managing to clear the threshold during the last regular elections and consequently not gaining any seats in parliament, they have now come a long way in gaining as many as 13 mandates.

The turn-around must be attributed to the party’s new leader, former parliamentary speaker turned oppositionist Marian Lupu. Lupu left the Communist Party after the regular elections, saying he is no longer prepared to play their ‘dirty games’. After a brief yet hard-fought struggle over him amongst the democratic opposition, he eventually chose the Democratic Party as his new home.

Lupu, as one of the most popular politicians in the country, took a great number of Communist voters with him when he left. He was said to account for as many as 15% of the Communist vote. As a result, the Democratic Party is now on equal footing with the Liberal opposition and will actively join the upcoming negotiations.

Opportunities
After the election outcome negotiations to form a government started between the different opposition parties (mainly: Democratic Party on the one hand and the three Liberal parties on the other), as well as between the opposition and the Communists to come to an agreement over a Presidential candidate that will sit well with both sides.

Mr Lupu has already said the only way out of Moldova's political crisis is to form a broad national governing coalition. It is thus very likely that Lupu will be able to agree with the Liberals, who have strengthened their ranks and are able to speak with more-or-less one voice. In fact, the Liberal Party's number-two, Fusu, stated the opposition has already formed an alliance that's successfully cooperated in parliament: ‘The fact that the Communists were unable to find a single vote to elect a Communist as president shows we have the political will to keep our word,’ she says.

As far as the Presidential vote is concerned, however, they will need some cooperation from the ruling party to reach the 61 votes needed to elect the next President. If the opposition and the ruling party do not come to an agreement over a suitable candidacy, President Voronin can still disband the parliament and stay in his post until new elections – which can then only be held next year. However, in that case, should the opposition still manage to come to an agreement, a democratic government would have much more opportunity to ensure freer and fairer elections than the last.

Sources: Azi.md, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty