Right-wing ACUM bloc at Moldovan parliament declines Socialists' proposal on negotiating coalition
CHISINAU. April 10 (Interfax) - Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase, the leaders of the rightwing ACUM bloc at the Moldovan parliament, declined an invitation by the pro-presidential Party of Socialists (PSRM) to negotiate establishing a ruling coalition and endorsing the government.
Sandu and Nastase said in reply to the invitation that they did not see the need for "building a coalition with the Socialists but stand ready to cooperate with them within the framework of a parliamentary platform."
"The ACUM bloc remains open to discussing a package of legislative initiatives on the country's de-oligarchization, including through abolishing the mixed electoral system, and this doesn't require the establishment of a ruling coalition with the PSRM. Discussions with the PSRM could be arranged within the framework of a transparent parliamentary platform should the Socialists express the desire to topple the current ruling regime," ACUM said in a statement.
Sandu and Nastase also demanded resuming a plenary session of the new parliament. They addressed their demand to Eduard Smirnov of the PSRM, who chaired the parliament's inaugural session.
In a letter posted on social networks on Wednesday, Nastase and Sandu said that "an open-ended recess in the session is deliberately dragging out the election of a parliamentary speaker and deputy speakers, the formation of the Standing Bureau, and the establishment of parliamentary commissions."
Four parties won parliamentary seats in the recent parliamentary elections in Moldova, which took place on February 24. The pro-Russian PSRM received 35 mandates, the Democratic Party (PDM) 30, the ACUM bloc 26, while the Shor Party got seven. Three unaffiliated candidates who won in their single-mandate constituencies are also represented in parliament.
The establishment of a coalition now seems unlikely, as there are fundamental ideological disagreements between all the parliamentary parties.
President Igor Dodon said on Tuesday that early elections were the most likely outcome.
The first session of the new Moldovan parliament started on March 21 and was chaired by a 79-year-old Smirnov as the oldest parliamentarian. He acknowledged that no parliamentary majority had been established at the parliament and therefore the session could not be continued. Following this, a recess was called. The chairperson is also supposed to announce the resumption of the parliament's sessions.