Communists: Transnistria may be ruined by oligarchs

On Nov 7, the Transnistrian opposition organized a big rally.

Almost 300 demonstrators gathered in Tiraspol’s central square to express their views concerning the Dec presidential election.

Novosti Pridnestrovya quotes MP, presidential hopeful from the Communist Party of Pridnestrovye Oleg Khorzhan called on patriotic NGOs and political parties to unite against oligarchs.

According to Khorzhan, Speaker of the Transnistrian Parliament Vadim Krasnoselsky, who is also a presidential hopeful, is the protégé of the Sheriff company (the financial monopolist of the region).

The opposition won the last parliamentary elections in Transnistria. They have won over 80% of the seats, with the biggest parliamentary group sponsored by Sheriff.

“If both the legislative and executive governments get into the hands of oligarchs, Transnistria will face a collapse. We must not let this happen!” Khorzhan said.

Earlier Krasnoselsky said that the parliament had not been usurped, while the executive government was facing a system crisis. “We have no system of checks and balances,” he said.

Even though the organizer of the rally was the Communist Party, there were lots of people from the camp of Transnistrian President Yevgeny Shevchuk, who are also dissatisfied with the activities of the Parliament and its speaker. They urged the people to vote for Shevchuk, with many calling Khorzhan Shevchuk’s “technical candidate.”

Former Interior Minister Gennady Kuzmichev, also a presidential hopeful, has qualified the current situation in Transnistria as “pre-electoral games.”

“The conflict between the parliament and the president is of personal nature. Today, 2/3 of the Parliament is controlled by Sheriff but the new President will still have to come to terms with it,” Kuzmichev said.

He said that Transnistria needed a political restart. “Here we need political will – something our current leaders don’t have,” the general said.

As EADaily reported earlier, on Dec 11, the Transnistrians are to elect a new president. The key rivals of current President Yevgeny Shevchuk are Vadim Krasnoselsky and Gennady Kuzmichev, who is said to be supported by the Russians.

Earlier, Shevchuk asked the Russian President’s Special Representative to Transnistria Dmitry Rogozin to send independent Russian experts as he is afraid that the forthcoming presidential election may be unfair.