“Twitter Revolution” Overthrows Moldovan Communists

Moldova in Europe

General elections in Moldova Wednesday saw Europe’s last ruling Communist government fall to a coalition of political parties seeking to lead their country out of its position of poorest on the continent.

With 97% of ballots counted, the four main opposition parties – the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Democratic Party, and Our Moldova Alliance – have 50.7%, compared with 45.1% for the Communists.

The Wednesday election was a recast of a vote held last April, which saw thousands of tech-savvy youths take to the street in flash mobs coordinated via the social networking website Twitter in protest alleged voter fraud conducted by the Communists. A harsh crackdown ensued, with international vote monitors ruling a slim victory for the Communists, who have been ruling Moldova since 2001.

Dorin Chirtoaca, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, said the Communists would have to “join the ranks of the opposition and must not disturb Moldova on its path towards European integration”.

“Democracy has won,” he said.

Moldova President Vladimir Voronin

While the four parties have already agreed to form a coalition, Moldova still has a long way to go. A tiny state of around 4.5 million that was part of Romania until 1940, Moldova is Europe’s poorest country and potentially one of the most unstable. It remains deeply divided between the ethnic Romanian majority and the Slavic breakaway statelet of Transdniestr, which has maintained its def acto independence, backed by Russia, since winning a bloody civil war in the early 1990s.

Additionally, the Communists will remain a powerful force and the liberal parties, who have many disagreements of their own, may have difficulty forming a government or finding a mutually acceptable figure to replace reigning president Vladamir Voronin.

And a pro-Western government might find a $500 million loan offer from Russia and $1 billion loan offer from China, both currently being negotiated with the Communists, taken off the table.

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