Transnistria’s presidential issue: Voice of Russia

Transnistria’s presidential issue: Voice of Russia

The 2011 presidential election in Transnistria is slated for December 11th, with the unrecognized republic’s incumbent leader Igor Smirnov having already provided the Central Election Commission with all the necessary documents for being registered as a candidate. His intention to run for the fifth term is a mistake, head of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergey Naryshkin said. “We recommend that Smirnov make way for new political forces that could pull the region out of social crisis,” the official stressed.

Igor Smirnov has been staying at the helm of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian Moldovan Republic for as long as 20 years, since it was formed following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He undoubtedly ranks among those to contribute a lot to the region’s history, according to deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Zharikhin.

"Transnistria has never existed under a different president. The incumbent leader helped the republic maintain its independence as a state, even though many still fail to agree with that. Transnistria withstood a severe blockade, having preserved its identity and the right to negotiate with Moldova as an autonomous entity. This is one of Smirnov’s main achievements," Vladimir Zharikhin believes.

At the same time, many Transnistrian residents say their leader’s long term in office jeopardizes the entire democratic system, deputy of the Supreme Council of Transnistria Dmitry Soin said in an interview with the Voice of Russia.

"An estimated 85-90 percent of our broadcasting time is occupied by Igor Smirnov alone, with nothing left for the opposition. The latter is being actively denigrated and accused of plotting to betray Transnistria alongside some mythical figures from Russia," says Dmitry Soin.

Another fact pointing to the need of change is a hard economic situation. Transnistria is only surviving with the help of Russia, the official goes on to elaborate.

"State budget deficits stand at some 70 percent according to official data and are only covered by Russian gas money and tranches. Our agriculture that was so famous during the Soviet era has been almost destroyed. We won’t be able to survive longer than two or three weeks without assistance from Moscow which is saving us from starvation," Dmitry Soin concludes.

Among other things, the region also has a number of ideological problems. Experts are talking about stagnation and the government’s resistance to change and modernization. Independence issues naturally remain one of the key challenges but the region needs a leader able to solve them without thwarting progress. Media reports considered Renewal Party leader Anatoly Kaminsky a perfect candidate in this context but the government was said to be creating a precedent not to enlist him. The Transnistrian parliament even asked Russia to send its observers to December elections and ensure that all preparations are held in strict conformity with the law.