The uprising was fuelled in part by alleged violations in
the elections, economic disparity and a grim financial outlook of the
country – a good portion of Moldova’s population survives on an average monthly
wage of $260.
When the pro-European coalition took over from the
Communist Party, which has dominated here since independence in 1991, many
Moldovans hoped for a prosperous future. But endemic corruption, a battered economy and political
infighting have left many disenchanted with the new leaders and looking for
change.
Sunday’s parliamentary election in Moldova, home to
3.5 million people, has proved once again that voters are bitterly divided over
their future. The small republic, wedged between Romania and Ukraine, faced a
crucial choice between re-electing the ruling pro-European coalition or favour
parties that want to move back to Moscow’s orbit.
Pro-Western parties have advanced in the race, winning on a narrow lead
over those who pledge closer ties with Moscow. With 95 percent of the votes counted, the three
pro-EU parties have about 44 percent. The opposition parties got a total of 39 percent.
The Socialist Party has garnered a surprising 21 percent of the votes,
winning nearly 25 seats in the parliament. The party, led by former Communist
Party member Igor Dodon is harshly anti-EU and has been pushing for integration
into Moscow’s Customs Union, with which it does not share a border in Transdniester.
Dodon
argues European integration would not create sufficient jobs and Moldova’s
economy could even collapse if Russia expelled the hundreds of thousands of
Moldovan immigrant workers on its territory. According to the National Bank,
nearly a quarter of the country’s GDP is estimated to come from remittances of
Moldovans working abroad, most of them in Russia and Europe.
According
to the results, the pro-Western parties are expected to hold around 55 seats in
the country’s 101-seat parliament, while the pro-Russian parties, including the
Communist Party, are set to get nearly 46 seats. Since no party has won the majority of
votes, the ultimate outcome will depend on what parties can forge a coalition.
Sunday’s vote was the first
election since Moldova signed a free trade agreement with the European Union,
similar to the one signed by Kyiv. The deal enabled visa-free travels across
Europe and paves the way for greater economic relations and democratic reforms.
In response, Russia banned Moldovan wine, fruit, vegetables and then meat, as
well as threatened to cut off its gas supplies unless the country changes track.
Moldovans have chosen a new parliament in a vote overshadowed by a bloody
unrest in neighboring Ukraine. Moldova, like Ukraine, has a pro-Russian enclave
in the east and a contingent of more than 1,000 Russian soldiers, which has
been stationed there for over two decades.
Transdniestria, home to around 500,000
people, about a fifth of whom hold Russian citizenship, is heavily dependent on
Moscow’s energy and financial subsidies. Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea
this spring, some Transdriestrian officials submitted a request to annex their
territory as well, citing the results of a 2006 referendum held in which the
vast majority voted to join Russia — an outcome that has been questioned.
With
a fragmented parliament, the EU dream may slip out of reach for the small
Moldova – not least because the tiny country has
been plunged into political turbulence numerous times before. While the battle
lines in this election were mostly ideological, the campaign also revealed some
alarming controversies.
From Russia without love
In
Moscow, a couple of thousand people lined up to cast their vote at the five polling
stations across the country. That’s compared to 11 sections available in
neighboring Romania.
Among
those waiting to cast their ballots was Renato Usatii, a businessman with strong
ties to Russia, whose pro-Russia party was taken out of the race on the grounds
of electoral violations.
On
the eve of the vote, the Supreme Court of Justice upheld a ban on the Patria
party, for illegally receiving foreign funding. Usatii, who was
virtually unknown few months before the election and rose to prominence by
staging concerts with Russian showbiz celebrities, fled Moldova on Friday,
saying he feared arrest.
Opinion
polls indicated Usatii’s party could have received some support thanks to those
disenchanted with the ruling coalition. Some saw his exclusion from the vote as
a move designed to embolden pro-European rivals.
An uncertain future
All
in all, this leaves Moldova more divided than ever, at least in political
terms. It is difficult to look ahead as political decisions
are driven by a narrow set of personal interests not only within competing
parties, but even among the Democrats themselves.
In this
endless battle for political power, the people of Moldova are the ones caught
in the middle of despair. The population is shrinking every year and
according to the International
Organization for Migration Mission to Moldova, up to 40 percent of the
active population has already left the country in search for a better
life.
Young
people are the ones leaving more frequently, amid growing dissatisfaction with local
leaders and the slow pace of economic progress. Many blame the government for the
country’s social problems, rampant corruption and weak economy.
With
the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and the government across the
border in Ukraine getting worse by the day, there is a lot of anxiety that the
small republic could be next. As Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said
an interview with the BBC, there is nothing worse than “uncertainty.”
Like the majority
of Moldovans abroad, I dream about a chance to return to
a stable, prosperous country, but until we have leaders who are strong in
character and can discipline
themselves and abide by those democratic principles and values they
stand for, the hope for a better future back home remains forlorn.
Moldovan native Tatiana Darie, a master’s student in broadcast journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is a producer at Global Journalist and a reporter for KOMU-TV.
