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Moldova goes to polls
Reuters, CHISINAU, Moldova, March 6, 2005 Moldovans are voting in an election that has taken on overtones of recent popular movements in two other former Soviet republics, Ukraine and Georgia, to move out of Russia's embrace. But while in those countries it was the opposition who beat governments that stood for close ties with Moscow, in Moldova it is Communist president Vladimir Voronin, once a great friend of the Kremlin, who has chosen coolness towards Russia as the way to stay in power. The new trend has alarmed Moscow -- but may provide little satisfaction for the West as it tries to encourage former Soviet satellites to espouse transparent democracy and the rule of law. Voronin's party records up to 60 percent support in opinion polls and there is little doubt that it will again secure an overwhelming majority in parliament, which elects the president. The opposition question such surveys and already plan a rally for Monday, draped in the orange colours that stood for democratic change in Ukraine, to protest against election fraud. Voronin says his popularity is such that he does not need to rig the vote. In a country of four million that is one of Europe's poorest, he can point to higher wages and pensions as evidence that economic growth is bearing fruit. "I voted for the Moldovan people, for Moldova's prosperity," he said after voting on Sundayat a school in the capital, Chisinau. But analysts put much of the economic growth down to remittances from over half a million Moldovans working abroad. And the United States and the European Union -- which welcomed electoral moves away from Moscow in Georgia and Ukraine as victories for democracy -- have both expressed concern at media restrictions and intimidation during the campaign, and pointedly called for a clean vote. PLAYING POLITICS WITH RUSSIA? In Moldova, a Romanian-speaking territory that has passed back and forth between Romanian and Kremlin control down the centuries, at least one of the parties that alleges foul play is accusing Voronin of cynicism over relations with Moscow. Voronin came to power four years ago promising to boost ties with Moscow, but now makes great play of his links with Georgia and Ukraine and his efforts to steer Moldova westwards towards the European Union. He now says Russia threatens Moldova by supporting Russian-speaking separatists in its Dnestr region and refusing to honour a pledge to remove 1,200 troops stationed there. He also suggested that 20 Russians expelled by Moldova had been spies, not poll observers as they said. Russian media said 100 more Russians were denied entry at the weekend. "Ties with Russia have been pushed to the point of being absurd. This must be corrected urgently," Serafim Urechean, head of Democratic Moldova, told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. "Relations with Russia must be not only good but very good." Democratic Moldova has been registering up to 25 percent support in surveys, and the right-of-centre pro-Romanian Christian Democrats some 15 percent. Iurie Rosca, head of the Christian Democrats and one of the rally organisers, suggested it was the opposition, not Voronin, who should claim the mantle of the popular movement that overturned the result of Ukraine's rigged election last year. "If we discover irregularities, we will defend the result against falsification," he said. For Dumitru, a taxi driver, concerns about democracy outweighed any worries about Russian influence. "All our people should wear yellow," he said. "It happened in Ukraine. It can happen here. The Communists belong to the past." Voting was due to end at 9 p.m. (7 p.m.), with an exit poll to be published immediately afterwards. A turnout of 50 percent was required to make the election valid. By Olena Horodetska © Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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