[0]

The new Social Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie bills itself as the only "true" opposition party. Other parties disagree.

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Amid official silence, the Social Democratic Party joined the growing list of political parties in the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR), also known as Transnistria or Transdniester. In its own words, it pledged to be "a true opposition party", positioning itself as direct opposition to current president Igor Smirnov and a number of existing political parties who support his pro-independence administration to a smaller or larger degree.

The party's leader is Alexander Radchenko, a former presidential candidate and ex-member of Parliament. He is in favor of a confederate state with Moldova.

During Pridnestrovie's 17 September 2006 independence referendum, Alexander Radchenko campaigned for unification with Moldova. He received support from the opposition newspaper Novaia Gazeta, but the idea of a joint state with Moldova did not resonate with voters and 94% rejected unification.

The party formally received confirmation of its official registration as a political party on 25 January, silencing critics who had earlier claimed that pro-Moldovan or unionist parties would not be permitted to campaign in Pridnestrovie.

The formal registration of the new Social Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie was not reported on the state-run First Republic Channel (TV PMR) or by official news agency Olvia Press, but was instead amply covered by local opposition newspapers.

" - In Pridnestrovie, there are no political parties which could be regarded as enemies or even antagonists of the leadership, rather, it is a peaceful competition of ideas and methods of achieving the goals," said Vladimir Rylyakov.

Yevgeny Nikitin, writing in Man and His Rights, called the Social Democratic Party a true opposition party and compared it to a number of pro-presidential parties formed throughout 2006.

" - This is not democracy. This is much worse, [It is] simulated democracy," claimed Nikitin. "Such 'multi-party democracy' is merely the regime circling the wagons. It is no coincidence that all of them have spoken about the need to hold elections on the basis of party lists."

Earlier ban against controversial opposition politician

The founder of the Social Democratic Party, Alexander Radchenko, is a veteran opposition politician in the country. In 2001, as a presidential candidate, he found himself as the center of an internationally reported scandal. As part of his political program, he advocated unification with Moldova, leading authorities at the time to believe that he was in breach of the PMR Constitution which declares Pridnestrovie to be a sovereign, independent country.

The Tiraspol Municipal Court eventually banned the “People's Power Party”, Radchenko's main political organization, on 14 May 2001. Rachenko appealed and a month later, on 21 June, the Constitutional Court - Pridnestrovie's Supreme Court - overturned the verdict and allowed Rachenko's party to openly campaign for its beliefs.

The Ministry of Justice was criticized for having failed to prove any wrongdoing by Radchenko. A new case was prepared, however, with what the prosecutors felt was proof of a campaign to overturn the territorial integrity of Pridnestrovie, and Tiraspol's lower court, the city court, banned the party in December of 2001.

Radchenko again appealed, and again the Supreme Court found in his favor. In early 2002, the Supreme Court nullified the decision by the lower court.

Justice Minister Viktor Balala, who had led the campaign to have Alexander Radchenko's party banned, was later fired and has since left Pridnestrovie. Local observers confirm that freedom of speech and human rights have improved in recent years, and that the improvements extend to vast political freedoms as well. According to political insiders, it is now inconceivable that any political party will be banned or have its activities restricted in any way.

" - The past is dead and buried, and well in the past. These days we look to the future," says local political activist Petru Gladchi. "There is no one here who will outlaw any political parties. They can be against independence, like Radchenko and his Social Democrats. It doesn't matter. Or against Smirnov, like the Communists are. These are valid political positions. Even if I don't personally agree with these opinions, I will defend everyone's right to have them. Today, almost everyone in Pridnestrovie feel that way. We can honestly say that we have pluralism and a free political system, and this is a big advance when we compare ourselves to just five or ten years ago."

Despite the controversy at the time, Alexander Radchenko participated in the 9 December 2001 PMR presidential election as a presidential candidate running against the incumbent Igor Smirnov. Of a total of three candidates, he finished last with just under five percent of the votes.

Other parties in Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) disagree with the Social Democratic Party's self-classification as "the only true opposition party in Pridnestrovie," calling it a ploy to position itself among disenchanted voters. Two Communist parties have formed a strong and consistent opposition to the Igor Smirnov-led presidential administration for several years. Likewise, since 2005 the Renewal party, led by parliamentarian Yevgeny Shevchuk, 38, has been the largest opposition party in the country. The party, the largest in parliament, has introduced numerous bills aimed at curtailing and controlling the powers of the presidency.

See also:
» Disinformation and dirty tricks in referendum campaign [1]

On the web:
» Political platform of the Social Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie [2]