Outspoken Smirnov-critic Safonov launches presidential bid in Pridnestrovie

Andrey Safonov, owner of a hardhitting opposition newspaper, will face Igor Smirnov in December's election

BENDER (Tiraspol Times) - An outspoken critic of the current administration, newspaper owner Andrey Safonov, today announced his intention to seek the presidency of the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica in the republic's 10 December presidential elections.

Safonov is the owner and editor in chief of the opposition-newspaper Novaia Gazeta, founded in 2000 with offices in Bender, Pridnestrovie's second largest city. The newspaper has received funding from the United States Embassy in Chisinau, Moldova, but Safonov has publicly assured critics that the US-funding has no influence on his editorial line and that it will not influence his policies, if elected.

Former Smirnov-supporter

Andrey Safonov originally worked as a school teacher in Chisinau, capital of the now-extinct Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic (MSSR, part of the Soviet Union). He taught classic literature. In the time leading up to independence, he was elected to a seat in the Moldovan parliament on behalf of Pridnestrovie but left, along with Igor Smirnov and other MPs in the same situation, when they were subjected to discrimination and physical violence from pro-Moldovan Popular Front supporters. He supported Pridnestrovie's 2 September 1990 declaration of independence and was active in establishing the republic as a sovereign, independent state in the early years.

An early supporter of independence and of Igor Smirnov's leadership, he founded the stateowned news agency Olvia Press and subsequently held a cabinet position as PMR's Minister of Education, Science and Culture.

By the late 1990s, Safonov had become an increasingly outspoken critic of the government and resigned from his cabinet post in a spat over policy. A year later, in 2000, he founded Novaia Gazeta which today is the second largest opposition newspaper in Pridnestrovie. Today he works as its editor in chief and often appears as a political commentator of Pridnestrovie's private TV-channel, TVS.

Slim chance of winning

In December 2005's parliamentary election, supporters of president Igor Smirnov suffered a defeat when opposition party Renewal gained control of parliament. But Safonov is not a member of Renewal and the party has not yet endorsed his candidate, leading most people here to think that Safonov will not be able to get the votes he need to defeat Smirnov on election day, December 10.

Safonov dismisses that, noting that in the early days of a race it is normal for the contender to have low poll numbers and that as the campaign gets underway, he will find more supporters who agree with his criticism of the Igor Smirnov administration.

" - Even if he can't get enough votes to win, it is still a brilliant move," says a Western observer, explaining that "as a presidential candidate, he will get airtime on radio and TV. This means that his critical views and his ideas on reform will get much more exposure than he could ever hope to get from just selling his newspaper."

Pridnestrovie is also known as Transnistria or Trans-Dniester after the Dniester river which forms the border with Moldova. It declared independence in 1990 during the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Most of the "old guard", in power since 1990, have been changed by now and replaced with younger policians. Its three founding fathers were Igor Smirnov (president and Russian), Alexander Karaman (vice president and Moldovan) and Grigore Maracutsa (speaker of parliament, and Moldovan as well), and of those, only Smirnov still holds his current seat. Now, says opposition candidate Safonov, it is time for a change.

See also:
» Race heats up as more presidential candidates join the fray in Transdniester
» Communists field female candidate for 2006 presidential election

On the web:
» "Novaia Gazeta" online edition