Defection throws Moldova political scene into turmoil

Former Moldovan parliament speaker Marian Lupu has told RFE/RL's Moldovan Service that he will leave the party and join the opposition.

Izvor: RFE/RL

Tuesday, 02.06.2009.

17:36

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Former Moldovan parliament speaker Marian Lupu has told RFE/RL's Moldovan Service that he will leave the party and join the opposition. Lupu was widely expected to be the Communist Party's nominee to become prime minister. Defection throws Moldova political scene into turmoil In an exclusive interview, Lupu said he realized the Communist Party does not conform to democratic principles and cannot be reformed from within. The announcement comes one day before Moldova's parliament is scheduled to meet in a final bid to elect a new president. If no candidate secures 61 votes in the 101-seat legislature in the vote planned for June 3, new elections will be automatically triggered within three months. Outgoing President Vladimir Voronin's Communist Party has 60 votes and the three opposition parties have pledged to boycott the vote, as they did a similar poll on May 20. Lupu told RFE/RL that if any opposition deputies vote to support the Communist candidate, acting Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii, he will not vote. He added that if new elections are triggered, he intends to participate together with an opposition party and has already held talks with the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Party. Moldova was shaken by street protests and violence in the days following the May 5 parliamentary elections, which opposition leaders have alleged were rigged to ensure that all major levers of power remained in the hands of the ruling Communists.

Defection throws Moldova political scene into turmoil

In an exclusive interview, Lupu said he realized the Communist Party does not conform to democratic principles and cannot be reformed from within.

The announcement comes one day before Moldova's parliament is scheduled to meet in a final bid to elect a new president.

If no candidate secures 61 votes in the 101-seat legislature in the vote planned for June 3, new elections will be automatically triggered within three months.

Outgoing President Vladimir Voronin's Communist Party has 60 votes and the three opposition parties have pledged to boycott the vote, as they did a similar poll on May 20.

Lupu told RFE/RL that if any opposition deputies vote to support the Communist candidate, acting Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii, he will not vote.

He added that if new elections are triggered, he intends to participate together with an opposition party and has already held talks with the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Party.

Moldova was shaken by street protests and violence in the days following the May 5 parliamentary elections, which opposition leaders have alleged were rigged to ensure that all major levers of power remained in the hands of the ruling Communists.

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