Moldova's Marian Lupu says 2010 will be a lost year for reform in his poor ex-Soviet country if the Communists again block his election.Moldova's Marian Lupu, who makes a second bid for the presidency next month, says 2010 will be a lost year for reform in his poor ex-Soviet country if the Communists again block his election.
Lupu, who represents a liberal pro-Europe coalition with a slim majority in parliament, is set to be the only candidate when lawmakers assemble to elect a president on Dec. 7.
But it is still highly probable that the Communists, despite differences in their ranks and pressure from Moscow, will boycott the ballot as they did on Nov. 10 and deny him the post.
Europe's poorest country, wedged between Ukraine and EU member Romania, has been hit hard by the global recession.
The average monthly pay is $300, and the remittances from relatives abroad that many rely on have shrunk in the recession.
Whoever is elected faces a huge task, together with the government, in tackling the reforms that potential foreign investors want to see -- notably stamping out corruption and depoliticising the judiciary and the police.
The four-party Alliance for European Integration headed by Prime Minister Vlad Filat holds 53 seats in the legislature -- eight short of the 61 required for a president to be elected -- and needs defections from the Communists to get Lupu in.
Failure to do so will lead to a general election late next year in a country of 4.3 million that has already seen violent protests and two parliamentary elections in 2009.
"Continuation of crisis"
"The Communists might think that early elections might bring better results. But it will mean the continuation of the political crisis," Lupu said in an interview with Reuters.
The prospect of another early election meant that the political parties would spend their time campaigning rather than trying to push through reforms.
"The year 2010 will be a lost year for promotion of reforms, economic and social, that have to be carried out ... It will be a lost year for the country," he said.
Lupu, who defected from the Communists early this year, is a hate figure for the Communist ex-president, Vladimir Voronin, who has publicly called him a "traitor" and seems ready to insist his lawmakers maintain their boycott on Dec. 7.
Lupu says he would aim to conduct a "balanced" foreign policy between Russia, which provides Moldova with crucial supplies of natural gas, and the European Union.
He sees no contradiction between Moldova remaining in the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States and pursuing a strategic partnership with Russia, and actively pursuing a long-term aspiration to EU membership.
He readily concedes that his stress on a balanced foreign policy and his insistence that Moldova stay out of NATO have made him friends in Moscow.
"These ideas sound very good for our Eastern partners as well. They have an interest in having here in Moldova a leadership promoting reasonable ideas ...," he said.
Pressure from Moscow?
Russian media have reported that Moscow has put pressure on Voronin to call off the boycott and allow Lupu to be elected to end the political impasse.
Asked if Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had voiced support for him at a meeting last month in Chisinau, Lupu said there had been 'signals' that Moscow wanted to see him elected.
A towering figure over 2 metres tall, the 43-year-old Lupu speaks at least four languages. His earlier posts include that of economy minister and speaker of parliament.
One Western diplomat said his charisma and political experience made him a natural for the job of promoting his tiny country abroad.
Lupu and the Alliance see the application of EU norms and standards as a vital part of Moldova's drive to shrug off its Soviet past and make it an appealing candidate for EU membership one day.
source: World Bulletin
