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Liberal parties in opposition get enough votes to form government in Moldova

 
Second parliamentary elections have been held after the Communist Party could not swear in its candidate last June · A pro-European liberal government would point to a new scenario for Gagauzia and Transdniestria

The four main opposition parties in Moldova are about to form government after yesterday's election. Liberals and centrists have gained more votes and seats than current communist president Vladimir Voronin, and they could form a coalition government if they wished so.
The Democratic Liberal Party (PLDM), the Liberal Party (PLM), the Democratic Party (PD) and Our Moldova Alliance (AMN) have won 51% of the vote, while the Communists, in spite of winning the elections, managed to get 45% of the suffrage.

This could bring about significant changes regarding Moldova's relations with Romania and the rest of the European Union and in other fronts such as the frozen conflict of Transdniestria and the situation of the Gagauz autonomous region. The four opposition parties share pro-European leanings and are in favour of holding close ties with Romania, the country to which Moldova belonged and with which it shares language and culture. On the other hand, Communists have had Moscow as their closest ally instead of Bucarest.

Opposition parties have also adopted a tougher stance on the Transdniestria issue. Transdniestria is a strip of land bordering Ukraine enjoying a de facto independence from Moldova with the support of Russia. Neither official independence nor a Gaugazia-style autonomy has been agreed upon in a number of talks held at Chisinau, Tiraspol and Moscow. A pro-Western government may break the deadlock in the Transdniestria question, since both liberals and democrats are willing to put an end to the semi-independent status of the breakaway republic.

As regards the Gagauz issue, several political analysts believe that there is the latent possibility that the Gaugaz people call for the right to self-determination to be implemented if Moldova stops siding with Moscow. Gaugazia is an autonomous region within Moldova which also has close links with Russia. However, the Russian army has no troops deployed there as it has in Transdniestria.

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