Parties must bridge divides for effective lawmaking
The preliminary results of the parliamentary elections indicate strong support from the citizens of the Republic of Moldova for a pro-European future. This comes despite a tense electoral environment characterized by challenges related to misinformation and allegations of manipulation. During the "IN CONTEXT" program on Moldova 1 TV, politicians and experts highlighted the increasing civic maturity of society and expressed high expectations for the new Legislature. They called for a commitment to strengthening the European path, implementing economic reforms, and overcoming political divisions for the benefit of the public.
The leader of the Political Party "Democracy at Home" (PPDA), Vasile Costiuc, criticised the influence of opinion polls, which he labelled as a tool of manipulation. "Many would have voted differently if it weren't for the media terror. We were confident that we would achieve a good result. Moldovans went against this trend and I sincerely thank them. We promise to be the most vocal opposition – that they could have imagined – to the ruling party, which has not had a position in the last four years. This is the first experience in the Legislature, we will certainly not disappoint them", declared the PPDA leader.
Vasile Costiuc emphasized the role that his party will have in the opposition. "I reiterate, our position is the Bucharest-Washington axis, we are a pro-European party with connections in the European Parliament and we advocate for the development of this state", stated the politician.
Radu Marian, a member of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), highlighted the massive popular support and the democratic maturity of citizens, stressing the need for national unity to advance the European integration process.
“The world understood that the danger to our country from Russia has never existed at such a level: vote buying, disinformation, attempts at destabilization. People understood the historic opportunity to join the European Union and gave us the confidence to continue the reforms and complete this objective,” Marian declared, saying that the vote strengthens the legitimacy of the electoral process.
The politician also addressed the accusations of electoral fraud, considering them an insult to voters. “To claim that the elections were rigged is a total insult. We must respect the rights of voters,” the deputy stressed.
At the same time, the PAS representative opted for consolidating political forces around the objective of joining the European Union. "We have made enormous progress in many areas – both in EU accession, and in infrastructure, and in energy, and in economic support (...) We hope that in the next Parliament we will be able to work together on this objective and unite society around it", concluded the PAS representative.
The candidate of the "Alternative" electoral bloc, Ion Bulgac, highlighted the diversity of political forces in the new Parliament, underlining the potential for collaboration. "I am convinced that there are certain topics on which there can be consensus, but the agenda must start, first of all, with reforms in the economic field. These are the things that people are waiting for", declared Ion Bulgac.
The politician described the electoral campaign as "the most dishonourable" in the country's recent history. "I am convinced that this is a moment when all political forces must demonstrate political maturity. We must understand the emotional state of the people, it was the most dishonorable electoral campaign ever. We must achieve national reconciliation because people want security, trust and well-being and this is the basic responsibility of politicians in Parliament", noted Ion Bulgac.
Expert in the Black Sea region, Mihai Isac, stated that this electoral campaign was unprecedented. He advocated for a conciliatory approach, emphasizing the importance of political parties overcoming divisions. Instead of continuing political conflicts, they should concentrate on legislative activities.
"The political class in Chisinau must respond to the needs of society. We will see what contributions the parties will make," the expert concluded.
The preliminary results of the parliamentary elections on September 28 show that five electoral competitors will enter the new Legislative: the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) - 50.20% (792,557 votes), followed by the Patriotic Bloc - 24.17% (381,505 votes), the Alternative Bloc - 7.96% (125,685), Our Party - 6.20% (97,852) and the Democracy at Home Political Party - 5.62% (88,679).
