Moldovan Presidential Election 2016

[Georg Ebner]

With 96% counted it's:

49... Dodan, Soc.P. (exKP)
37... Mrs. Europhile-AntiCorruption

[Georg Ebner]

Mrs. EU can hope for 5% from Lib.s and Lib.dem.s, but Mr. ProPutin for the 6% of the prorussian "Our Party".

[AustralianSwingVoter]

@odo hasn't given her excellent analysis yet, I hope she will

[Deleted]

Good analysis of the fight among the oligarchs and ascendancy of Vlad Plahotniuc from the Polish "Centre for Eastern Studies" (OSW). Explains why the EU association agreement isn't in the interests of (most of) the nominally pro-EU parties.
www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2016-04-11/moldova-oligarchic-pluralism-to-plahotniucs-hegemony

[Deleted]

While long quotes are frowned upon I was tempted to post this in full: 

"Vlad Plahotniuc (born in 1966) is a billionaire and simultaneously the most important, the most controversial and the most mysterious figure in Moldova’s political and business life. He embarked on his career in the 1990s, when – according to his official declarations – he was engaged predominantly in exporting wine to Russia and building a Moldovan-US investment fund. However, some Moldovan media outlets have suggested that pimping and human trafficking were important sources of his income at that time. This presumed criminal activity reportedly helped Plahotniuc to build an extensive social network with political and business elites not only in Moldova but also in Romania and Ukraine. This has also reportedly enabled him to blackmail his prominent clients. It cannot be ruled out that this was one of the reasons why Plahotniuc received a managerial position at Petrom Moldova, a subsidiary of the Romanian giant, in 2001. His position and influence helped him to establish close contacts with Vladimir Voronin, the then president of Moldova and leader of the Communist Party (which ruled the country by itself from 2001-2009) and his son, Oleg, one of Moldova’s leading businessmen. Allegedly, resorting to blackmail and capitalising on his influence inside the state structures (the police, fiscal services and judiciary) resulting from his contacts with Voronin, Plahotniuc reportedly took over private companies and destroyed his business competitors. At the same time, he was also building his fortune via the irregular privatisation of state property. The influence and assets he acquired at that time became a foundation on which he was able to build his present strength after Voronin relinquished power."

Swell guy..

[Deleted]

One other element in the oligarch struggle is that SG of the Communists and ex-president Vladimir Voronin's son, Oleg Voronin, is one of the richest men in Moldova and controls the country's largest bank.

[Deleted]

Igor Dodon from the "Socialists" wins by a clear margin - as expected.

With 72% of the vote in, it's 57.5% to Dodon to 42.5% for "Liberal" Maia Sandu.

[No Offence Alan]

We need more Vlads and Igors in politics.

[Malice the Red]

Nov 13, 2016 20:46:19 GMT No Offence Alan said:

We need more Vlads and Igors in politics.

It's sure worked well so far...