RTA expert Sergey CHEBAN counted how many deputies are running in two districts in Transnistria, and expresses his confidence that the voting results there will lead to another criticism by the EU and international organizations.
Sitting Target
“The first thing that catches your eye is the monstrous competition between political forces for mandates in Transnistrian electoral districts. According to some reports, for the moment, 24 candidates from the Left Bank are striving for a deputy mandate. Some of them do not hide their party affiliation, others mask themselves more or less successfully, but all of them represent themselves as being independent,” said an expert in a comment for RTA. “At the same time, it is not known how all these people are related to Transnistria and the local realities, and how many people in the unrecognized republic recognize them. Assessing the first fifteen names, the vast majority of candidates have absolutely nothing to do with Transnistria,” Cheban says.
The expert points out that President Igor Dodon initially presented “five mandates for Transnistria” as his “know-how” and as “a gesture of goodwill from the best friend of Transnistria.” As a result, according to Cheban, the original idea of the socialist leader failed.
“When adopting the law on a mixed electoral system, such a “representation” of the Left Bank was unceremoniously reduced to two deputies, and Dodon’s initiative lost its original credibility. Now these districts give only two mandates, two deputy chairs, which are no different from others. No need to be surprised that two dozen people are planning to compete for them: there will be high competition for parliamentary seats throughout Moldova, and it doesn’t matter what attitude a particular deputy will have to Transnistria. Every mandate is on the account,” the expert believes.
Sergey Cheban is sure that political forces in Moldova consider these Transnistrian districts as a “sitting duck” which will save money during the election campaign. “Everyone is well aware that Tiraspol will ban agitation in Transnistria, which is a significant expenditure line. At the same time, there is a big chance to be “accidentally” elected in these district – few people living on the Left Bank participate in the Moldovan elections, and therefore several votes can be decisive,” says the analyst.
Theatre in Front of the Mirror
According to Sergey Cheban, the weak activity of Transnistrians in the Moldovan elections has a downside – the weak legitimacy of the deputies elected in the left-bank districts. The European partners of Chisinau are well aware that the “Transnistrian mandates” are “crony places in the sun warm places, and not a representation of the people living in the region.”
“The upcoming vote in Transnistria is a “a casual get-together”, a theatre with a large mirror instead of the audience. Europe is well aware of the situation on the banks of the Dniester and know in detail about the relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol. Brussels is very sceptical about any Moldova’s initiatives on Transnistria, if they are not coordinated with the EU, are not invented by European officials, or are not discussed in the 5+2 negotiations,” Cheban says.
The author recalls that the electoral system reform was carried out by the PDM and PSRM, and remains under critics by European officials. “The idea of single-seat districts itself annoys Brussels. In reality, this mechanism imitates inclusive participation of Transnistria in the authorities of the Republic of Moldova. Everyone understands that this is the way to bribe the deputies and the new seizure of parliament by Plahotniuc.
In this regard, the two mandates for Transnistria seem to be a blatant case of direct “purchase” of deputy chairs, because it is absolutely impossible to confirm their electorate, but it’s very easy to fake the results,” Cheban says. “In recent years, European diplomats have established a good dialogue with the authorities of Tiraspol. If the vote in “Transnistrian” districts would be won by people unknown in the unrecognized republic, Brussels will learn about it and get new legal grounds for accusing the Moldovan authorities of the lack of electoral transparency,” he said.
Cheban is confident that the risk of non-recognition of the elections on 24 February by the European Union is constantly growing, and their outcome will be a decisive factor. The expert emphasizes that the less the future parliament will “border upon truth,” the more likely Brussels will consider the elections undemocratic, and the results of the voting having been usurped by democrats.
“Manipulations with voices and polling stations for the diaspora, “independent” deputies from Transnistria, whose “victory” will be paid by Chisinau, all this will be presented by Brussels to the Moldovan authorities, when the “zero hour” comes,” the expert concluded. 
