Sensation on the Dniester: the parties of Moldova and the PMR united in the fight
The leader of the Moldovan Civil Congress party, Mark Tkachuk, and the chairman of the Union of Opposition Forces of Transnistria, Oleg Horzhan, signed a joint declaration last Sunday.
Following the meeting of representatives of these political formations, it was announced “the consolidation of civil initiatives and the solidary struggle for social, economic, humanitarian rights and freedoms of residents of both banks of the Dniester.”
The parties emphasized that politicians from Tiraspol and Chisinau held a broad discussion about problems in the region for the first time in the last three decades. They do not consider the unresolved Transnistrian conflict to be an obstacle to joint actions to resolve pressing issues that concern the population.
“We have no doubt that such an open joining of efforts meets the deepest interests of the majority of people and will serve as another sure guarantee of peace and stability, a tool for reducing the risks of any escalation in the region,” the declaration says.
This cooperation initiative, given the state of relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol, is truly extraordinary. Outside the official negotiation formats, representatives of the political forces of Moldova and Transnistria have not agreed on anything for many years.
Will such consolidation produce results? What is behind it: concern for people, attempts to raise the own ratings of politicians who are not on the top lines of news, involvement of the residents of Transnistria in the new election cycle in Moldova?
Political scientist Anatoly Dirun answered questions from PolitNavigator.
PolitNavigator: There hasn’t been such news for a long time - everyone has already forgotten that some of the politicians from the right bank can work closely with politicians from the left.
What brings these two political forces together? Why didn’t the communists of Transnistria, who form the backbone of the Union of Opposition Forces of the PMR, enter into a similar agreement with the communists of Moldova - after all, they used to have good, fairly strong ties? Perhaps the matter is in the personal connections of the communist Horzhan and the ex-communist Tkachuk?
Anatoly Dirun: It is difficult to say why the leader of the opposition forces of Transnistria decided to sign a declaration of cooperation with Mark Tkachuk. But there is no doubt: this format strengthens the “symbolic” capital of Oleg Horzhan. This can be viewed differently, but it is a fact. The question is how Khorzhan himself will manage this capital.
PolitNavigator: Is this event related to the upcoming local elections in Moldova? If in this way they plan to interest the Pridnestrovians in the Moldovan electoral processes, will the failures of the Civil Congress hinder the matter? The party performed unconvincingly in the 2021 parliamentary elections and was unable to unite the left forces of Moldova within the framework of the “Common Agenda” platform.
Anatoly Dirun: The fact that Pridnestrovians participate in elections is already a common phenomenon, although limited in scope. From a planning point of view, the main events in Moldova will unfold in 2024 in the presidential elections and in 2025 in the parliamentary elections. And in this case, the Transnistrian factor will only increase.
While Mark Tkachuk made the first, innovative move. He became the first party leader to sign such a declaration with a Transnistrian political organization. The agenda for the reintegration of the republic may become one of the key themes in the upcoming campaigns in Moldova, taking into account the new realities in 2024 and 2025. And here the Citizens Congress will have an advantage over its competitors.
PolitNavigator: The statement has been made, but will the parties go beyond the declaration? They say that they know how to achieve sustainable economic development of the region and provide access to modern healthcare and education. How serious is it? What practical steps can be taken in the interests of people on both banks of the Dniester, and most importantly, will these political forces be allowed to take such steps?
Anatoly Dirun: Maintaining communication in a permanent format will be the main real achievement for these political structures. With the right approach, the Civil Congress can act as a kind of mouthpiece for the problems that Pridnestrovians have, at the suggestion of Oleg Horzhan.
For example, the issue of canceling the purchase of Moldovan insurance for car owners from Transnistria [in the Republic of Moldova, from the beginning of July, they began to fine Transnistrian drivers in amounts of up to 1600 lei (about 87 dollars) for the lack of insurance issued by Moldovan insurance companies]. So imagine the prospects in this case.
PolitNavigator: How can you assess today the significance and influence of the Transnistrian communists and the local opposition in general on political life in Transnistria? To what extent is this a living political force? The Transnistrian Communist Party, for example, has not updated its party website since 2020.
Anatoly Dirun: The updating of the site does not indicate support from citizens. In the absence of a competitive political environment in Transnistria, this is not an indicator. Only participation in elections by the opposition can answer the question of ratings and trust in the party.
As long as opposition candidates are blocked in Transnistria, their legitimacy rating will increase. While the authorities will rely on the results of legality, i.e. official results. But the greater the gap between legitimacy and legality, the higher the chances of a political crisis in Transnistria. It is the matter of time. Unless, of course, the PMR leadership changes its approaches to the formation of domestic policy.
PolitNavigator: The authors of the declaration propose to “constructively use the precedent” and call on other politicians to follow their example. Who else could do something like this? I recall the attempts of Chisinau and Tiraspol to establish interaction at the parliamentary level.
In 2015, Moldovan Speaker Andrian Candu and his Transnistrian counterpart Mikhail Burla even met to discuss possible joint actions to improve the lives of citizens from both banks of the Dniester, but no particular results are remembered.
Anatoly Dirun: We live in a transformation of reality, and anything can happen in the next two years.
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