July 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election
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All the 101 seats to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An early parliamentary election took place in Moldova on 29 July 2009.[1][2]
Background
The country's parliament, elected months earlier, was dissolved by president Vladimir Voronin on 15 June 2009,[1] after it had twice failed to elect a new president.
Before the dissolution of the parliament, the electoral threshold was lowered from 6% to 5% and the minimum participation rate was lowered from half the electorate to a third of the electorate.[3] A poll from mid-July gave the PCRM only 29.7%, with the combined opposition (including the Democratic Party of Moldova now led by PCRM defector Marian Lupu) at over 40%.[4] PCRM leader Voronin did not rule out entering into a "grand coalition" with the opposition parties if the election results were inconclusive.[5]
Alliance for European Integration
On August 8, 2009, four Moldovan parties – Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Democratic Party, and Our Moldova Alliance – agreed to create a governing coalition that will push the Communist party into opposition. The name of the coalition is Alliance for European Integration.
| Political forces | Seats | Moldovan Parliament seats after July 2009 polls | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alliance for European Integration (right-wing) | 53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party of Communists (left-wing) | 48 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monitor controversy
Five Ukrainian election observers within the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) were deported from Moldova the day before the elections. According to them out of the 140 observers from ENEMO the Central Election Commission of Moldova registered only 55.[6]
Result
Voronin's party, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, gained around 45% of the vote, whilst the other four parties which won seats each gained from around 7% to 16%.[7] However, combined, the opposition parties to the Communists secured a greater percentage of the vote, and went in discussion over forming a coalition.[7] This has led some commentators to declare the election a loss for the Communists.[7][8]
A swing comparison with the results of the April 2009 Election showed the Communist Party of Moldova losing support (−4.72%) with most of the gain attributed to the Democratic Party (+9.58%), the Liberal Democratic Party (+4.12%) and the Liberal Party (+1.48%).
Other parties that recorded a loss in support include Our Moldova Alliance (−2.42%), Christian Democratic People’s Party (−1.79%), and Social Democratic Party (−1.18%).
Eight parties participated in the elections: Four which had won seats in the April elections (PCRM, PL, PLDM, PAMN), three parties which had won between three and four percent (PSD, PPCD, PDM) and the Ecologist Party of Moldova "Green Alliance", which had not participated in the April elections.
The results of the July election indicated a consolidation of the vote with fewer parties standing. In April 2009, 15.19% of voters supported minor parties below the then 7% threshold. In July only 4.16% of voters supported minor parties who fell below the 5% threshold.
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Template:Moldovan parliamentary election, July 2009
Template:Moldovan parliamentary seats, July 2009
Election results per district:
 | This article is missing information about Error: you must specify what information is missing.. (March 2012) |
| no | electoral district | number of registered voters | participated in the vote | % participated in the vote | valid votes | PCRM | PLDM | PL | PDM | AMN | PPCD | PSD | PEMAVE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chişinău | 618,910 | 385,179 | 62.24% | 383,344 | 41.23% | 16.89% | 23.14% | 10.55% | 5.62% | 1.15% | 0.96% | 0.47% |
| 2 | Bălţi | 107,163 | 57,245 | 53.42% | 56,894 | 58.16% | 12.82% | 7.64% | 15.60% | 2.87% | 1.15% | 1.33% | 0.43% |
| 3 | Găgăuzia | 103,517 | 57,690 | 55.73% | 57,276 | 77.78% | 1.28% | 0.43% | 5.88% | 3.73% | 0.69% | 9.87% | 0.35% |
| 4 | Anenii Noi | 70,140 | 39,649 | 56.53% | 39,402 | 47.92% | 18.04% | 14.26% | 11.05% | 5.13% | 2.11% | 1.08% | 0.41% |
| 5 | Basarabeasca | 17,098 | 12,560 | 73.46% | 12,481 | 52.05% | 13.25% | 5.50% | 10.49% | 7.59% | 1.22% | 9.26% | 0.64% |
| 6 | Briceni | 58,089 | 35,468 | 61.06% | 35,207 | 57.61% | 9.60% | 7.27% | 14.63% | 7.09% | 2.08% | 1.32% | 0.41% |
| 7 | Cahul | 92,173 | 53,594 | 58.15% | 53,303 | 38.36% | 23.52% | 15.89% | 10.66% | 7.69% | 2.37% | 1.20% | 0.32% |
| 8 | Cantemir | 43,480 | 25,761 | 59.25% | 25,596 | 40.81% | 24.93% | 11.04% | 10.07% | 9.79% | 1.74% | 1.13% | 0.48% |
| 9 | Călăraşi | 60,966 | 34,020 | 55.80% | 33,794 | 32.10% | 17.59% | 19.71% | 10.02% | 16.35% | 2.25% | 1.49% | 0.49% |
| 10 | Căuşeni | 69,108 | 39,285 | 56.85% | 39,041 | 44.26% | 12.46% | 12.12% | 8.91% | 16.78% | 3.78% | 1.29% | 0.39% |
| 11 | Cimişlia | 44,665 | 25,686 | 57.51% | 25,541 | 43.98% | 16.51% | 9.33% | 16.10% | 10.50% | 1.81% | 1.41% | 0.37% |
| 12 | Criuleni | 57,324 | 34,331 | 59.89% | 34,069 | 34.23% | 16.85% | 20.11% | 13.29% | 11.18% | 2.92% | 1.04% | 0.38% |
| 13 | Donduşeni | 33,223 | 21,378 | 64.35% | 21,199 | 58.94% | 10.08% | 5.57% | 14.16% | 3.91% | 3.72% | 3.26% | 0.37% |
| 14 | Drochia | 67,723 | 39,324 | 58.07% | 39,055 | 49.69% | 16.22% | 8.57% | 16.28% | 5.13% | 2.03% | 1.71% | 0.36% |
| 15 | Dubăsari | 25,286 | 16,230 | 64.19% | 16,099 | 67.92% | 8.55% | 7.51% | 8.68% | 4.55% | 1.57% | 0.82% | 0.40% |
| 16 | Edineţ | 64,123 | 38,219 | 59.60% | 37,938 | 57.29% | 8.15% | 4.82% | 18.34% | 6.98% | 1.37% | 2.78% | 0.27% |
| 17 | Făleşti | 71,198 | 39,507 | 55.49% | 39,230 | 52.09% | 13.65% | 7.55% | 17.14% | 4.57% | 2.36% | 2.32% | 0.34% |
| 18 | Floreşti | 68,643 | 42,202 | 61.48% | 41,761 | 54.39% | 17.55% | 4.90% | 15.30% | 4.82% | 1.62% | 1.07% | 0.34% |
| 19 | Glodeni | 46,981 | 25,916 | 55.16% | 25,727 | 47.72% | 18.90% | 8.43% | 13.44% | 7.59% | 1.71% | 1.87% | 0.34% |
| 20 | Hînceşti | 89,494 | 50,604 | 56.54% | 50,265 | 33.00% | 28.05% | 14.12% | 16.48% | 5.15% | 1.75% | 1.15% | 0.30% |
| 21 | Ialoveni | 76,092 | 46,648 | 61.30% | 46,334 | 25.02% | 24.79% | 23.16% | 11.91% | 11.81% | 1.80% | 0.96% | 0.55% |
| 22 | Leova | 42,039 | 22,299 | 53.04% | 22,119 | 41.23% | 15.31% | 10.99% | 14.25% | 12.87% | 3.02% | 1.80% | 0.53% |
| 23 | Nisporeni | 49,284 | 28,389 | 57.60% | 28,215 | 27.18% | 22.67% | 27.01% | 6.88% | 13.17% | 1.50% | 1.01% | 0.58% |
| 24 | Ocniţa | 39,601 | 25,497 | 64.38% | 25,322 | 65.92% | 9.00% | 3.82% | 14.72% | 3.66% | 1.19% | 1.34% | 0.35% |
| 25 | Orhei | 93,595 | 54,553 | 58.29% | 54,162 | 29.51% | 20.78% | 18.74% | 16.93% | 7.95% | 1.65% | 4.02% | 0.42% |
| 26 | Rezina | 37,258 | 23,493 | 63.05% | 23,295 | 48.83% | 19.24% | 10.65% | 11.44% | 4.97% | 3.47% | 1.03% | 0.36% |
| 27 | Rîşcani | 54,232 | 30,752 | 56.70% | 30,541 | 51.09% | 13.36% | 8.87% | 16.10% | 6.51% | 1.99% | 1.74% | 0.33% |
| 28 | Sîngerei | 67,133 | 36,123 | 53.81% | 35,913 | 43.43% | 16.97% | 9.36% | 20.09% | 6.18% | 2.24% | 1.42% | 0.31% |
| 29 | Soroca | 74,965 | 42,798 | 57.09% | 42,434 | 48.65% | 13.38% | 7.96% | 16.09% | 10.57% | 1.21% | 1.77% | 0.37% |
| 30 | Străşeni | 73,756 | 41,404 | 56.14% | 41,123 | 32.86% | 18.07% | 21.17% | 12.02% | 10.96% | 2.36% | 2.05% | 0.51% |
| 31 | Şoldăneşti | 33,163 | 19,431 | 58.59% | 19,279 | 44.90% | 13.81% | 8.50% | 12.66% | 14.13% | 4.15% | 1.45% | 0.39% |
| 32 | Ştefan Vodă | 53,048 | 30,406 | 57.32% | 30,204 | 36.52% | 21.69% | 14.31% | 8.69% | 8.04% | 8.53% | 1.84% | 0.38% |
| 33 | Taraclia | 31,041 | 19,856 | 63.97% | 19,699 | 80.70% | 2.97% | 1.20% | 10.05% | 1.93% | 0.78% | 1.96% | 0.41% |
| 34 | Teleneşti | 51,786 | 30,348 | 58.60% | 30,166 | 31.94% | 26.09% | 11.78% | 12.64% | 12.97% | 2.47% | 1.72% | 0.39% |
| 35 | Ungheni | 85,655 | 48,368 | 56.47% | 48,007 | 46.68% | 14.52% | 12.96% | 12.96% | 7.56% | 1.78% | 2.64% | 0.35% |
| 36 | at diplomatic missions | 36,429 | 17,544 | 48.16% | 17,482 | 8.49% | 32.12% | 43.78% | 5.88% | 5.75% | 2.51% | 1.00% | 0.46% |
| Total | 2,708,381 | 1,591,757 | 58.77% | 1,581,517 | 44.69% | 16.57% | 14.68% | 12.54% | 7.35% | 1.91 | 1.86% | 0.41% | |
Reactions
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which was observing the election, said that whilst evidence had been found of "subtle intimidation and media bias", it concluded that major electoral fraud did not occur.[8]
After the results had been announced, Voronin acknowledged that there had been a swing in the popular vote against his party, and said he wants a "principled dialogue with all the political forces."[8] Neither the Communists nor the opposition parties combined has the three-fifths of parliament, 61 seats, necessary to elect a new president without gaining the support of some members of the other side.[8]
Michael Schwirtz of the New York Times described the reason why the Communists did not gain a majority of the vote as unknown, though said it could be down to the defection of Marian Lupu, a former parliamentary speaker, from the Communists to the Democratic Party of Moldova, which won 13 seats in this election.[9] Lupu has been suggested as the next president.[7]
Elected MPs
The list of deputies elected in the 29 July 2009 parliamentary elections:
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On December 15, 2009, PCRM MPs Vladimir Ţurcan, Victor Stepaniuc, Ludmila Belcencova, and Valentin Guznac left the Party of Communists' parliamentary faction, on grounds that the concerned group of lawmakers did not agree with the latest decisions by the PCRM's leadership. On March 17, 2010, Svetlana Popa left the Party of Communists' parliamentary faction.
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References
General:
Inline:
- ^ a b Moldova President Dissolves Parliament, Calls Poll. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. June 15, 2009.
- ^ Moldovans vote in election re-run, BBC News (July 29, 2009)
- ^ Republic of Moldova: The electoral threshold was reduced. The electoral alliances remain illegal. Hotnews.ro. June 15, 2009.
- ^ Moldovan Communists Slide In Preelection Poll. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. July 15, 2009.
- ^ Moldovan Communists To Consider Grand Coalition. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. July 16, 2009.
- ^ Moldova Deports Five Observers Over Parliamentary Elections From Ukrainian Voters Committee, Ukrainian News Agency (July 29, 2009)
- ^ a b c d Harding, Luke (2009-07-30). "Moldova votes out Europe's last ruling Communists". Guardian. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- ^ a b c d Kole, William (2009-07-30). "Communist rout puts spotlight on obscure Moldova". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Schwirtz, Michael (2009-07-30). "Communists Lose in Moldova Vote". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
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