EXPERTS VIEWING EX-PREMIER ION STURZA’S POLITICAL FUTURE DIFFERENTLY

Local political experts are assessing differently the political future of Ion Sturza, a former Moldovan Prime Minister [February-December 1999] and currently a prominent man of business and Head of the Fribourg Investments holding. According to some mass media, presently Sturza has been in negotiations with the new Liberal Reformist Party and may become its head one day soon.

In reply to Infotag’s request, Moldovan political scientist Dr. Igor Botan, Chairman of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT), offered an opinion that everything will depend on how Sturza himself sees his future in the Moldovan politics. If this is true that he is in negotiations with the Liberal reformers, this means that they invited him themselves. By the way, Ion Sturza attended the recent constituent congress of the Liberal Reformist Party, which fact proves his interest to politics.

“Ion Sturza is a renowned personality having a charisma, knowledge, financial independence, so he can well attract people into his team. In a word, Sturza is a kind of figure who can head any party wishing political and financial consolidation”, said the expert.

Dr. Botan believes Ion Sturza’s coming to the Liberal Reformist Party (LRP) will mean the strengthening of struggle for the Liberal Democratic Party’s electorate.

“Sturza has never had the image of a person with the outlooks of a unionist [an adherent to the idea of the unirea – Moldova’s unification with Romania]. The Liberal reformers have divorced Mihai Ghimpu’s Liberal Party that constantly speaks of Romanianism [as opposed to Moldovenism] and of unirea. In such conditions, Sturza’s coming under the LRP banners should mean that the party will be struggling not so much for the Liberal Party’s electorate but, rather, for Liberal Democratic Party’s voters. If only it is true that the Liberal Democrats sought the Liberals’ split, then this is one of the direct fruits of the split”, presumes the expert.

In his words, though Ion Sturza is indeed a very influential figure, the notorious ‘administrative resource’ is on the LDPM’s side, as the Liberal Democratic Party has powerful structures in the localities.

“Moreover, if the current 6% electoral barrier [for political parties at parliamentary elections] is preserved, then even Sturza will be not able to help the Liberal reformers overcome it. In such conditions, the party must fight for lowering down the barrier”, believes Igor Botan.

Director of the independent Moldovan Institute of Euro-Integration and Political Studies Viorel Cibotaru told your Infotag correspondent that he regards the former prime minister more as the Liberal reformers’ “honorable fried” rather than their party leader.

“I doubt Sturza’s agreement to come to the Liberal Reformist Party as a ‘Great Guru’. Political life presupposes much daily work – trips to the localities, meetings and discussions with citizens, systematic propaganda efforts. I don’t think that other LRP leaders – parliamentarians Ion Hadarca or Anna Gutu, or Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta – would agree to do this job instead of Ion Sturza who, after many years of absence, has come back into the Moldovan political life. He may come to face the risk of having his public image tarnished even by his party comrades (if they decide that he presents danger to them), not to mention political opponents”, said Viorel Cibotaru.

Infotag’s dossier: Presently, Ion Sturza runs a number of successful businesses, in particular two investment foundations. Their assets, reaching 200 million euros, work in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including in Moldova.