​EPPM LEADER REFUSES TO BACK RIGHT-WING OPPOSITION’S COMMON CANDIDATE

The Chairman of the European People’s Party of Moldova (EPPM) and former Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, who is also running for president, has refused to support the common candidate from the Right-wing opposition forces. He formulated his position in the social networks last Sunday, commenting on the call by President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Joseph Daul.

The day before, Joseph Daul welcomed the decision of the three Moldovan parties [PAS, DA and LDPM] to nominate PAS Chairperson Maia Sandu as the Right opposition’s common candidate for the presidential election.

“Maia Sandu is a brave, honest and devoted politician. The EPP fully supports Maia Sandu as a common Right-Centrist pro-European candidate who can represent and struggle for the interests of each citizen of Moldova. We highly appreciate the decision taken by DA Party leader Andrei Nastase to sacrifice his candidacy in Sandu’s favor. Nastase has demonstrated that the interests of the country are above personal political ambitions”, wrote the EPP leader.

Joseph Daul expressed regret that Iurie Leanca had not supported Maia Sandu and had quitted the negotiations on a common candidate from the Right opposition. In his opinion, the fractionalization of Right parties does good only to pro-Russian forces and oligarchs who are not interested in a prosperous or democratic Moldova. He insistently called on Iurie Leanca to quit the election race and support the common candidate.

In response, Iurie Leanca stated his firm intention to continue his struggle for the presidential post.

“As far as I feel that I can do a lot of good for the country and for my people, I shall be making all possible efforts and using all my energy for this. I have experience and knowledge that will help Moldova continue its way to the West. The Right candidates must yet learn so much to govern the country”, wrote the former prime minister.

Leanca stated that in his election campaign he will be struggling against Party of Socialists leader Igor Dodon “who wants to drive the country along a closed road – a road without a future”.

Iurie Leanca reproached the European People’s Party for their placing a stake on wrong politicians.

“I am going forward with optimism, irrespective of the opinions of the politicians, who have already made an unhappy choice by vesting their trust in Moldovan politicians who did not deserve that”, wrote Iurie Leanca.

Infotag’s dossier: The European People’s Party is a pan-European political party founded in 1976. It unites 74 Right-Centrist parties from 39 countries. The EPP group in the European Parliament numbers 288 persons. The impressive list of EPP current and former political leaders includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ex-President of France Nicolas Sarcozy, ex-President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, and other prominent European personalities.

Before, the Republic of Moldova was represented in the EPP by the Christian Democratic Popular Party. However, after the CDPP lost the 2009 parliamentary elections and ceased to be a parliamentary party, the EPP accepted the Liberal Democratic Party to its ranks. The LDPM received the status of an EPP observer in November 2011, and became a full-right member quite shortly after that. The EPPM is, so far, only seeking the EPP membership.