Will Moldova be headed by a chess player?

Presidential elections will be held in Moldova on October 30. Igor Dodon, the Socialists’ backed presidential candidate, is an obvious frontrunner, winning either the first or the second round of election.

Who is he and where will he lead the country if elected?

Flexible visions

Igor Dodon, the Socialists’ leader, is distinguished by his political flexibility. In June 2008, when holding the post of the first deputy PM and the Minister of Trade and Economy, he stated that ‘European integration is certainly a priority for the Republic of Moldova’, but before talking about joining the EU, ‘it is necessary to implement the European reforms and standards’.

However, Dodon radically changed his position after he’d become a lawmaker. In April 2011, when asked, why he decided to run for Chișinău Mayor’s post, Dodon answered as follows: “I don’t feel comfortable in Parliament, politics isn’t for me. My choice is-particular goals and solutions.

“It’s a utopia to talk about joining the Customs Union as long as we don’t have a common border, Dodon was saying in 2011. However, 2 years later, he was already promulgating integration into the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan: “The European integration sounds good, but it looks bad. Association agreement with the EU will cause chaos, dissociation and loss of statehood. Moldova needs different way. The Customs Union will ensure sustainable socio-economic development of the Republic of Moldova.

As Dodon stated after November 30, 2014 elections: “We could reach agreement with Transdnestria and Gagaúziya on setting up a federal state that will join the Customs Union.

As part of his presidential campaign program, Dodon says, he will restore the strategic partnership with Russia, and his first visit in the capacity of president will be to Moscow. However, he no longer mentions joining the Customs Union.

When asked, how many moves ahead he could read a potential situation, the presidential race frontrunner would answer as follows: ‘I am the president of Moldovan Chess Federation.’

The opposition enriches

Igor Dodon, the Socialists’ party presidential candidate, pays in nearly half of his family’s monthly income to settle MDL1,47milllion loan that he took in 2013 to buy a luxury house in the capital’s Byukan district.

Although, neither he nor his wife own any commercial companies, presidential candidate Dodon, through various intermediaries, including his next of kin, is featured among the owners of millions-worth business. For example, his sister-in-law, runs the limited liability company that has recently won at least 50 state-run-auctions, to the amount exceeding MDL1,5million. His relatives, friends and colleagues, who seem to be poor at first sight, own the companies that develop a flourishing business.

According to the documents they’ve presented, the prosperity of Dodon’s family started rapidly growing after he had gone into opposition, rater then when holding the governmental posts.

Whose is Crimea?

Igor Dodon’s recent statement with regard to whom Crimea belonged to, has drawn particular attention. Speaking on air of RTR Moldova TV channel, he firmly stated: ‘to the Russian Federation’. Meanwhile, in the interview to The Kommersant newspaper, he explained his unwillingness to initiate a procedure of legal recognition of Crimea as part of the Russian Federation as follows: “If we recognize Crimea, won’t it lead to someone recognizing Transdnestria? That’s what I’m concerned about. I fear that the same thing may happen to Transdnestria.’ Here’s the deal: Igor Dodon, a politician, regards Crimea as de-facto Russian territory. But let’s talk about it after October 31. 

Published:29.10.2016