Wednesday, April 8, 2009

UNA NUOVA RIVOLUZIONE COLORATA? (A new colour revolution?)

Una 'rivoluzione' così veloce da non trovare il tempo di darsi un nome: in meno di una giornata l'opposizione moldava è scesa in piazza, si è scontrata con la polizia, ha preso d'assalto il parlamento, la presidenza, la sede del governo e avrebbe già ottenuto che si proceda a un nuovo conteggio dei voti delle legislative di domenica scorsa. Dopo la rivoluzione delle rose in Georgia, quella dei tulipani in Kirghizistan, quella arancione a Kiev, nell'ex spazio sovietico scoppia un'altra protesta, con diverse dinamiche, ma un tratto comune: la richiesta di cambiamento. "Ci vogliono rubare il futuro", continuava a ripetere alle tv russe Gennady Brega, giovane leader della piazza in fermento. Al centro del nuovo sisma, di intensità ancora tutta da verificare, le accuse di brogli nel voto che avrebbe dato al partito comunista la maggioranza assoluta dei seggi in parlamento. Il partito Liberal-democratico e i Liberali, motori della marcia sui palazzi del potere, hanno cambiato i giochi in corsa. Con due piani del Parlamento in fiamme, una donna morta per asfissia e molti poliziotti tra gli oltre 20 feriti negli scontri, Vladimir Voronin - presidente 'ancora' comunista, pur dichiarandosi filoeuropeo - ha concordato il nuovo computo delle schede. Tra l'altro l'Osce ha sostanzialmente promosso il voto di domenica e il Consiglio d'Europa oggi fa notare che "accettare la sconfitta fa parte del processo democratico". "Vogliamo essere liberi", "abbasso il comunismo", "Vogliamo un nuovo conteggio", gli slogan più gridati in piazza e scritti su striscioni scomparsi presto tra getti di idranti e colonne di fumo. Ma anche "siamo romeni", a ricordare che la Moldova fino al 1940 faceva parte della Romania, oggi Paese miraggio per molti giovani della repubblica ex sovietica, più che radice nazionale veramente sentita. Quando la polizia e i 500 agenti antisommossa hanno cercato di bloccare l'avanzata verso la sede della presidenza, la folla ha cominciato a lanciare sassi e sono scoppiati scontri piuttosto violenti. Fonti ospedaliere hanno detto che i feriti sono "oltre 20", altre fonti hanno parlato di "più di trenta". Comunque il caos, che il presidente Voronin - giunto al termine del secondo e ultimo mandato, con il pensiero volto ora alla poltrona di capo del parlamento - ha definito "tentativo di destabilizzazione". I comunisti hanno gridato al "tentativo di golpe". Voronin, noto equilibrista e politico molto navigato, ha annunciato un accordo per il nuovo computo delle schede. L'opposizione ha fatto poi sapere che "non è stato raggiunto alcun accordo". La posta politica in gioco è alta. Ieri il Comitato elettorale centrale di Chisinau ha annunciato che il Partito comunista, con l'86% delle schede scrutinate, aveva superato il 50% dei voti. I tre partiti pro-europei - Liberali, Liberal-Democratici e Nostra Moldova - tutti assieme avrebbero raccolto circa il 34% dei consensi. Un risultato che, una volta ufficializzato, avrebbe dato 61 seggi in parlamento su 101 seggi, quindi la possibilità di eleggere il nuovo presidente senza consultare nessuno. Ieri sera un 'ritocchino' al ribasso (49,9% ai comunisti) non ha placato i sospetti e la crescente ira dell'opposizione, che ha indetto per oggi la manifestazione per chiedere l'annullamento del voto. L'opposizione filoeuropea non vuole lasciare il Paese nelle mani di Voronin, al potere da otto anni, grande manovratore che ha prima dichiarato l'eterno regno del socialismo poi ha deciso di guardare verso l'Ue, senza convincere troppo. Non ha convinto certo la folla scesa in piazza oggi, in gran parte giovani che sognano un futuro in Europa, ma sanno che a fare i giochi elettorali ancora oggi sono l'esercito della pubblica amministrazione, gli elettori più anziani e nostalgici dell'Urss. Oltre ai votanti convogliati dalla diffusissima corruzione. Voronin - o il suo successore, da eleggere entro l'8 giugno - è atteso tra l'altro al vertice europeo di Praga che a inizio maggio vedrà il battesimo ufficiale del Partenariato per l'Est. La nuova iniziativa di cooperazione Ue con Ucraina, Georgia, Bielorussia, Armenia, Azerbaigian e Moldova è importante per Chisinau come ponte verso l'Occidente. Ma d'altronde la Moldova è legata a doppio filo a Mosca, non tanto per l'ideologia, che nelle mani di Voronin vira spesso e volentieri, quanto per la totale dipendenza dal gas russo e dagli umori del governo moscovita. Oltre all'aumento delle tariffe del metano, l'embargo sulle esportazioni di vino moldavo nel 2006 ha definitivamente messo in ginocchio la Moldova, che ora vive di rimesse degli emigrati (36% del Pil) e di aiuti internazionali, Ue in prima fila. Insomma, la crescita dell'inizio del decennio 'liberista' (al massimo nel 2005: Pil + 7,5%), malgrado anche i comunisti abbiano varato alcune riforme stabilizzanti, è un ricordo lontano. E' sempre viva, invece, la ferita della guerra civile del 1992 in Transdnistria, la prima delle guerre postsovietiche: 1.400 morti almeno negli scontri tra truppe separatiste ed esercito moldavo. Prima che intervenissero i russi a imporre una tregua e vegliare sulla proclamazione di indipendenza della regione.

(wallstreetitalia.com 8 Aprile 2009).
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Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has expanded his accusation of an attempted "coup d'etat" by opposition forces to charge that "certain forces" in neighboring Romania had masterminded the violence that has hit the country in recent days.

Several thousand protesters returned to the streets of the Moldovan capital on April 8 less than 24 hours after demonstrations gave way to bloody clashes and the ransacking of government offices.

But there were no reports of violence as police and security forces guarded key government buildings to avoid a repeat of the chaos of a day earlier. President Voronin told
a meeting of regional government officials that118 people were arrested after the April 7 riots.

The street protests followed the announcement that Voronin's ruling Communist
Party had won more than half the votes in weekend parliamentary elections, a result that would allow it unilaterally to pick a president to succeed Voronin as well as a prime minister.

Authorities regained control of the parliament and presidential offices overnight after mobs overran those buildings, which lie next to a main Chisinau square.

Hundreds of young people who were gathered near the steps of the presidential building around midday were subdued, with no signs of violence.

There were no police visible at the entrance to the parliament building across the road.

Accusations Of Romanian Interference


Voronin announced that Romania's ambassador to Chisinau had been declared persona non grata and that Moldova would institute a summary visa regime with Romania, which is an EU member state. The Moldovan ambassador to Romania was summoned to Chisinau for consultations.

EU and other European representatives have urged protesters to refrain from violence but also called on the government to allow peaceful protests.

Romanian media reported that Moldovan authorities have closed
several border crossings between the two countries in an apparent attempt to prevent hundreds of young Moldovans studying in Romania from returning home and possibly joining the protests. At least 20 journalists were also reportedly prevented from crossing from Romania into Moldova.

Some reports say noncitizens are being denied entry to the country.

Voronin, speaking to regional government officials, said 118 people were arrested after the April 7 riots. He accused the leaders of the protest movement of fleeing abroad.

Voronin's accusations of Romanian involvement underscores the close cultural and language links the two countries share. Moldova was part of Romania before World War II, and two-thirds of the country's 4.5 million people are ethnic Romanians.

The televised mayhem on April 7 included scenes of Romanian flags, nearly id
entical to the Moldovan national flag, being waved from the rooftop of the besieged presidential building.

The opposition has not commented on Voronin's claims about Romanian involvement.

But opposition leaders deny being behind the violence and have accused the government of sending its own provocateurs into the crowds of demonstrators to steer what began as peaceful protests in a more destructive direction.

Vlad Filat, a leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, told Reuters that authorities had "broken off the agreement we reached with Voronin," reportedly over allowing opposition access to voter lists.

Filat said he would not rule out "arrests, both of political leaders and participants, to maintain the pressure, to give an example of how they can treat those who decide to protes
t."

View From The Street

Protesters' numbers were dwindling on April 8, with crowds in the late afternoon estimated at 3,000. The April 7 violent confrontations gave way to a more relaxed mood.

Some banners indicated a sense of anger in the crowd, with messages like "Voronin, leader of the dead." Still, some of the mainly young demonstrators told RFE/RL they disap
proved of the destruction caused by violent protesters. A young man expressed suspicion that the attacks had been staged:

"[It was] the provocateurs who were calling on people to crush and destroy things, to set things on fire. I believe it was some Communist idea. We'll find out in the following days," he said.

Another participant, a young girl, told RFE/RL she strongly rejected the violence and the destruction: "I was there for a while. We stood there quietly with my colleagues. I clearly disagree with what they did, the damage they caused to the presidency and parliament buildings. No one expected the Communists to win again."


Call For 'Deescalation'

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- whose election monitors offered lukewarm praise for the voting that sparked the protests -- has reiterated its condemnation of the violent incidents and called for restraint.

The OSCE on April 6 expressed concerns about "undue administrative interference" in the vote, but said the election overall met many international standards and commitments.

"We condemn, of course, any violence, any outbreak of violence that took place in the Moldovan capital following [the April 5] parliamentary elections," OSCE spokesman in Chisinau, Matti Sidoroff, told RFE/RL. "We urge every political side to do their utmost to deescalate the situation."


The street protests began after the three main opposition parties -- which together garnered 30 percent of the vote, according to preliminary figures -- called for a recount. They complained that Communist authorities had manipulated the vote, in some cases casting false ballots with the names of Moldovans living abroad.

Independent observers also spoke of widespread intimidation of voters, especially outside the capital.

Asked if the OSCE would review its findings, Sidoroff declined to comment. But he said the opposition's complaints must be analyzed without delay.

"Indeed, we know that many opposition parties have filed complaints and say also that they have proof that they have presented which has to be studied in due time by the Central Election Commission, and this process is going on," Sidoroff said.

Deadlines Passed

Opposition leaders met late on April 7 with Voronin and government representatives to call for a recount.

But election commission head Iurie Ciocan has rejected that demand, arguing that the law only provides for individual complaints filed with local courts where the alleged fraud was noted.

The commission was due to announce the official results of the vote on April 8, but that deadline has passed with no formal announcement.

Serafim Urechean, the leader of the Our Moldova Alliance, one of the three pro-western liberal opposition parties which managed to get into parliament, told RFE/RL that they all insist on being allowed to check the voters' lists against the actual number of votes to establish whether identities of people who have been abroad and couldn't vote had been stolen.

"We want to have the voters' lists put at our disposal. [When we get the lists] we, [the Our Moldova Aliiance] together with the other two[ opposition] parties [the Liberal Party and the Liberal Democratic Party] will initiate through investigations and afterthat we can talk," Urechean said.

Voronin, whose second and final presidential term formally ends on April 8, remains in the role of caretaker president until a new parliament elects a new head of state. There is speculation that Voronin might seek the post of parliamentary speaker or head the Communists' parliamentary faction.

The events in Moldova have been watched carefully by Moscow, which has some 1,000 troops stationed in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transdniester, and has sought to boost its influence in the former Soviet republic.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moldova opposition calls for a recount or repeat of the parliamentary vote are "absolutely groundless," while the State Duma passed a statement backing the Moldovan authorities and urging the European Union and Romania to clearly condemn the protesters' actions
.

By Eugen Tomiuc, Valeria Vitu
(rferl.org 8 Aprile 2009).

Passo e chiudo.
FRA

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