19 May 2020 23:06

Moldovan president says early parliamentary elections might be needed

CHISINAU. May 19 (Interfax) - Moldovan President Igor Dodon said he could not rule out that the country might need to hold early parliamentary elections.

"The situation in the country is very complicated. The mafia led by Plahotniuc [Vladimir Plahotniuc, a fugitive tycoon whose people at the parliament are seeking the government's resignation] are seeking to secure the government's resignation and destabilize the situation in the country. I hope all political forces understand this, including the rightwing parties," Dodon said on the Accent-TV television channel on Tuesday evening.

Dodon said that, if the government resigns, he would immediately start negotiations with all parties.

"I mean the Party of Socialists, the Democratic Party, as well as the rightwing parties led by Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase. There is nothing to talk about with Andrian Candu's group and the Shor Party. I won't hold negotiations with those who have stolen a billion and who are buying parliamentarians from other factions. As for the rest, we should decide with them whether we should build some government of national salvation to clear the country of thugs once and for all or whether we hold early elections," he said.

He suggested that the abovementioned parties should reach a consensus.

"We may agree that we hold presidential elections in the fall, at the planned time. And then we dissolve the parliament and hold early parliamentary elections. Or we can combine the presidential elections and early parliamentary elections and hold them the same day. The Socialists have asked the Constitutional Court's opinion on the matter. I think this is possible. If all parties agree, we will find a technical solution and decide how this should be done," Dodon said.

As was reported earlier, a number of parliamentarians have quit the Democratic Party faction in the past few weeks, and the faction currently numbers only 15 of the original 29 members. The ruling coalition still includes 52 parliamentarians, while the minimum number of members for a coalition to exist is 51 of the 101 parliamentarians. The authorities have claimed that some parliamentarians have been bribed by fugitive tycoons Vladimir Plahotniuc and Ilan Shor, who are thus seeking to destabilize the situation in Moldova to escape prosecution and the phasing out of their businesses in the country.