PLAHOTNIUC SEEKS TO COMPROMISE ACUM - MP OAZU NANTOI

For Vlad Plahotniuc, it is of a principal importance to compromise the right-wing pro-European voting bloc ACUM, believes the Program Director of the Institute of Public Policies (IPP), political analyst and now ACUM parliamentarian Oazu Nantoi.

He said in his interview with Radio Liberty that for this, "Plahotniuc needs to bring at least one deputy under his banners. But we should not forget that Igor Dodon, as the President of Moldova, is also a product of Mr. Plahotniuc. Therefore, it is very highly likely that precisely the [Dodon's] Party of Socialists will become the main 'donor' of deputies for the would-be ruling coalition, with Plahotniuc to steer the coalition from the backstage".

"Now the situation looks as follows: the ACUM bloc has stated it will not take part in whatever coalitions with the Democratic Party or Party of Socialists. So now ACUM is waiting to see how the DP will start acting according to Plahotniuc-invented technology - ruining the Party of Socialists by means of corruption and blackmail and forming a governing coalition", said the expert.

In his words, rumors are circulating that Ilan Shor will not formally enter this coalition because he has been given the role of a "Moldovan Zhirinovsky", who will be incited against ACUM because it is extremely important for Plahotniuc to ruin this bloc.

Commenting on the probability of a snap election, Oazu Nantoi explained that the parliament dissolution procedure is multi-phased and very complicated.

"In a situation when the Democratic Party's pre-election generosity has already resulted in a yawning Budget gap, to wait 3 more months until parliament dissolution and then to hold one more election - well, this can hardly bring voters' sympathies to anybody. We believe that, most probably, Plahotniuc will prefer a typical "Moldovan variant", when he will start buying up deputies to create a majority and then to appoint a government obedient to him", said Oazu Nantoi. Expert Leonid Litra of the Center "New Europe" of Ukraine said that it is not quite clear what is awaiting Moldova next few months and whether the new parliamentary parties will be able to form a new government.

"So far, this looks hardly probable. One can indeed expect something creative from the Democratic Party's behalf because it is critically important for it to retain power. I believe a snap election would be not quite pleasant to them. Geopolitically speaking, Russia has lost this election in Moldova, but the European Union has not won it because all the same the Democratic Party is remaining a "pro-European party" only declaratively, and if the Democrats remain in power, this will not be telling on their relationship with the European Union in whatever way", said the expert.