Opposition seeks united front against Smirnov in Tiraspol

Voters go to the polls in Tiraspol, capital of Pridnestrovie. Observers called the last 3 elections free and fair. (file photo)

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Following the win by Igor Smirnov in last Sunday's presidential elections, the Communist Party - whose candidate finished second - has proposed the idea of forming a broad, non-ideological block of opposition groups to present a united front against the government.

It is expected that the Communists will unite with other opposition groups in Pridnestrovie. A journalist from the newspaper Soviet Russia Leo Leonov, who worked in the campaign staff of Nadezhda Bondarenko, speaks in favor of a broad-based coalition which includes liberal democrat Andrey Safonov, who finished third place in the presidential elections with just 3.9% of the vote.

" - Of course we have our differences with Safonov," said Soviet Russia newspaper journalist Leo Leonov.
" - But even Lenin himself made an agreement with father Makhno, when it was needed. Safonov can objectively be considered our ally in the opposition to the current government," said Leo Leonov.

Nestor Makhno, known as "Father Makhno" to his followers, was an Ukrainian libertarian revolutionary briefly cooperated with Lenin but ultimately refused to align with the Bolsheviks.

Prior to the 10 December Presidential elections, the two local Communist parties already threw in their lot and united in a common front advocating Pridnestrovie Pravda-editor and opposition candidate Nadezhda Bondarenko, the first-ever female candidate for president of PMR.

Communist party leader Oleg Khorzhan accepted the outcome of the 10 December presidential elections, noting that even if the state media campaigned in favor of Smirnov, "we know that his popularity rating in any event is objectively high," noting the high personal approval ratings of the pro-independence leader.

Along with other opposition groups, the Communists will propose a change in the electoral system for parliament; turning it into a European-inspired system based on proportional party slate voting rather than individual majorities.

" - The current system is not entirely democratic and does not ensure real representation in the legislature," says Khorzhan. "On the basis of voter preference, we ought to have at least 5 members of parliament. But we don't have any at the current time," says Khorzhan. This is due to a US-style first-past-the-post system where, in each circuit, the winner takes all.

Renewal Party not sure to join

It is not certain yet if the country's largest opposition party, Renewal, will join the anti-Smirnov alliance at this time. Led by a young and charismatic lawyer, Yevgeny Shevchuk, 38, the party won a surprise victory in the December 2005 parliamentary elections; taking control of parliament in the process and making Shevchuk the legislature's Speaker.

In the months preceeding the campaign, his party had mounted several challenges to Igor Smirnov's supporters, including a failed attempt at constitutional reform which aimed to severely limit the powers of the presidency. A more modest reform attempt did pass and was approved, aimed at democraticizing the electoral code and adding an extra layer of transparency and oversight.

Earlier this year, experts expected Yevgeny Shevchuk to make a run for president. In an interview to TV channel NTV he explained that an open contest between the Speaker of parliament and the incumbent president could hurt the survival of the still-unrecognized republic.

" - The political struggle that could arise as a result of my nomination as presidential candidate could lead to an institutional crisis: a conflict of the two public bodies, the legislative and the executive branch. This will increase tension and instability within the State and affect the population directly," said Shevchuk, explaining why he decided to not seek the presidency this year.

" - Perhaps this is what Moldova would like. But I don't think that Moldova deserves to be handed such a gift. In the current situation, the main priority for us is to stand firm in the face of foreign threats to Pridnestrovie as a nation. Pridnestrovie needs stability and international consolidation of its sovereignty. In such circumstances, Renewal and myself decided that it would not be right for me to throw my hat in the ring for this year's presidential elections."

Instead, Renewal fielded token candidate Peter Tomaily, who campaigned very little and finished last in the field of four.

Outside observers tip Shevchuk as the man who could have beat Igor Smirnov. One analyst identifies Shevchuk's refusal to stand as a 2006 candidate as a direct result of pressure introduced by Moldova with the implementation of new customs regulations (dubbed a "trade war" and economic blockade) in March of 2006.

" - So what we are really seeing here is almost a siege mentality, where they circle the wagons and decide that right now, a united front is the most important thing for the survival of their statehood," comments Michael Garner, a columnist and researcher.
" - In this scenario, it is this year's actions from Moldova which have dampered the opposition discourse. Once sovereignty is secured, the outside threat disappears by Moldova shelving its claim on PMR. And with the threat gone, real democracy starts to flourish. I am consistently surprised at those who can not see the benefit of this. The key to democratization in PMR lies in removing the uncertainty over the future and taking away, for good, the risk of a new attacks and warfare."

See also:
» Experts: Challenge underway from PMR's opposition-controlled parliament