Regime of Most Obstacles - Moscow will not be let out of Pridnestrovie

Kommersant ^ | Dec. 12, 2005 | Vladimir Soloviev; Viktor Ivanov

[Tailgunner Joe]

Election Results

Yesterday, the unrecognized Pridnestrovie Moldavia Republic (PMR) was electing deputies of Supreme Council. The Sunday voting went without participation of international observers. Official Moldavian authorities call the election another farce. However, it did not faze the leadership of Pridnestrovie. The regime of Igor Smirnov was able to prevent an “orange revolution” from happening and kept the power. It means Moscow should lay off the worries for the next five years – it will not be let out of Pridnestrovie. “Yes”

The authorities made public transportation free for the day of the elections. From early morning speakers were transmitting Russian pop- tunes and ceremonial marches. The telephone poles were covered with the posters “Everyone to Vote!” The same words were written in big letters on all candidates’ posters. Next to polling stations street vendors were selling pirogies and lemonade all day long. The local ministry of culture ordered there to be folk dancers and singers in every polling place.

The holiday atmosphere was ordered from the top as well. The leadership of Pridnestrovie was able to persuade its political rivals that any conflicts would only play into the hand of neighboring Moldavia. The fight was promised to be a hot one since summer: recently the relationship between authorities and the business elite in Pridnestrovie became pretty tense. In order to develop their business in Europe, large entrepreneurs were ready to consider living in a unified Moldavia. However, Pridnestrovie authorities learned lesson of “orange revolution” well. Before December they were able to clear out the election filed from any serious opponents. The entrepreneurs were threatened with the possibility of losing their business. Candidates were persistently asked not to argue with each other but rather unite and not to let Chisinau have a reason for criticism.

Many candidates did not even try to gather support. For instance, some of them did not even use the 15 minutes of provided air time for them in local television. Others appeared on the TV screen only for couple of minutes asking electorate to listen to some music and announcing music videos. Local parties and political organizations did not take much action either. Two main rivals – the pro-authority non-government political organization Republic and Renovation, a movement created by business, which observers from Chisinau considered as a project for a “color revolution” – did not show their participation in election fights.

In this condition, the main effort was to bring as many people as possible to the polling station and provide the necessary 25 percent. Fighting for the electorate the authorities used all tested methods from the Soviet arsenal. According to unofficial order from “above” the top management of large enterprises should explain to all employees the importance of their participation in political life of Pridnestrovie. Official propaganda also asked people to come and vote for the “future of Pridnestrovie.” It worked. By the noon the amount of people on polling stations exceeded the minimal requirement and reached 30 percent.

Igor Smirnov, leader of Pridnestrovie, voted in Tiraspol at a polling station located in the Republican Palace. He was voting there for the last 15 years and for all this years he maintained his leadership over the break-away region of Moldavia. Smirnov arrived to the polling station in 10 a.m. Once he appeared, the orchestra started to play a piece from opera the “Carmen.”

While talking to the press, Smirnov announced that the OSCE and international community’s not recognizing the election does not bother him. “Elections are for people and not for OSCE. We do not intend to prove to anybody that we have democracy –let them come and see for themselves.” However, Smirnov was put out of balance by a reporter from Hungary, who asked about the unrecognized status of the republic and named it “so-called PMR.” The Tiraspol leader angrily replied that “so called Hungary” should recognize his country first. The president of Pridnestrovie did not miss a chance and criticize Moldavia. “Moldavia consciously puts its people in a stupid position. The time will show – it is impossible to believe this people.” However, Smirnov said that PMR does not have any problems with Russia and the export doubled this year. He complained that the European Union and the United States are trying to squeeze Russia out of the negotiation process and peacekeeping mission in Pridnestrovie. “External forces want to perform a ‘color coup’ in our republic to seize everything and make our people into second-class citizens. But people in Pridnestrovie can see political intrigues and double standards,” the president reassured. The orchestra played music from the move “Children of Captain Grant” when Smirnov was leaving poling station.

“No”

Moldavia refused to recognize election in Pridnestrovie calling the voting process undemocratic and non-compliant with international standards farce. Chisinau never recognized any elections in PMR from the separation of the unrecognized republic in 1991. However, for the last five years Moldavia was involved in presidential and parliamentary elections in Pridnestrovie trying to bring its own people to power. All the attempts have failed: Tiraspol was able to defend itself with powerful propaganda and administrative resource.

This time, Moldavian authorities decided not to get involved. Chisinau demonstratively paid no attention on what is going on in rebellious region. Yesterday Moldavian president Vladimir Voronin expressed satisfaction with the fact that the international organization also refused to monitor “so-called elections in Pridnestrovie.” In the same time, he expressed dissatisfaction with results of recent session of Minister Council of OSCE in Ljubljana. He pointed out that for a third year in the row this international organization does not adopt any decision about settlement of the Pridnestrovie problem. Also, the head of the state’s complained that there is no progress in negotiation process for Pridnestrovie conflict.

The Moldavia’s point of view was shared by Ukraine, USA, and EU. However, the most active defender of Chisinau was Bucharest. President of Romania Trojan Besesku said that official powers of Moldavia should get political control over all territory of the country according to the constitution. He told about his recent discussion of the Pridnestrovie problem with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who visited Bucharest during her European tour. The president hinted that he will not leave his Moldavian colleague to face energy problems, which might arise if Moscow will go through with its promises to raise prices for energy sources after New Year: “Moldavia can expect our full support in any problems of political and economic character. We are ready to help with solution of difficulties connected with high prices for gas or electric energy. Romania has for it all necessary resources.”

“Abstained”

Yesterday, Russian authorities preferred not to make any comments about the elections. Moscow never officially declares support to Tiraspol – Chisinau constantly accuses Russia of supporting Pridnestrovie separatists. The Kremlin usually shows with its actions on which side it plays. This year Russia imposed several economic sanctions against Moldavia, prohibiting import of Moldavian wines and agricultural products from this country with agrarian economy. None of these sanctions was involving Pridnestrovie. Also, Moscow plans to increase gas prices to European rates fro Moldavia starting from New Year. And again, Pridnestrovie is not going to be affected by that. With such methods Moscow is trying to make Chisinau to refuse from ideas of European integration and solve the Pridnestrovie problem according to Russian interests.

Russia uses the same weapon against Ukraine, which borders Pridnestrovie. A large portion of the economic security of the unrecognized republic depends on Kiev, which is actively trading with Tiraspol. The beginning of the monitoring of the Pridnestrovie-Ukraine portion of the border by a EU mission from December 1 might present in the future some problems for Tiraspol’s external trade. As of right now, the main task of the Kremlin is to persuade Ukrainian president Viktor Yushenko to include some positions from failed in 2003 “Kozak’s memorandum” (document, created by Dmitry Kozak, who in that time was Deputy Chief of Presidential Administration of Russia) into Kiev’s planned solution of the Pridnestrovie problem..

The main concern for Moscow is to keep a Russian military presence in Moldavia for maximum long term. Russia also needs Pridnestrovie because Russian business during the years of Smirnov’s rule gradually bought almost all property in break-away republic. For instance, Moldavian Hydro Electric Plant, which is located in PMR and purchased by Unified Energy Systems of Russia, sells electric energy not only in Pridnestrovie but also in Moldavia. Pridnestrovie has on its territory one of the largest in Europe electric transforming grid and it plays role of the important link for supplying electricity to the Balkans. Moscow is afraid that if Pridnestrovie will be given back under Moldavian control, then Russian business will be pushed out of there. That would be the obvious outcome because this year Moldavian parliament adopted the law considering as illegal all privatization deals that were done without Chisinau’s permission.