VZCZCXRO2792
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHCH #0288/01 0981628
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081628Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7862
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 000288 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM MD RO
SUBJECT:  PROTESTS PEACEFUL, FOCUS TURNS 
TO POLITICAL FALLOUT Q Summation to 
April 8 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please 
Protect Accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Political protest 
continued April 8, but the crowd 
remained peaceful, and was much smaller 
than the previous day.  Speeches and 
slogans continued, but to a much smaller 
crowd in a relaxed atmosphere.  The 
focus has now turned from the streets to 
political accusations.  Both Russian 
media and official GOM statements blamed 
Romanian interference for yesterday's 
violent events, and relations with 
Romania have soured significantly.  The 
Romanian Ambassador was declared persona 
non grata, and President Voronin 
announced that Romanians will now need 
visas to enter Moldova.  Train service 
to Romania has been cut for today and 
tomorrow.  Additionally, various 
political parties are trading 
accusations, blaming each other for the 
events.   End Summary. 
 
A Dwindling Crowd Remained Peaceful 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) By mid-day April 8 several 
thousand protesters had gathered in the 
main square.  The crowd was waving flags 
and carrying signs, listening to 
speeches and chanting slogans.  As of 
5:00 P.M. there were no reports of 
violence during the day.  An afternoon 
observer noted demonstrators were eating 
ice cream and police were relaxing and 
chatting.  One incident where protesters 
near the parliament tried to throw 
stones was quickly subdued.  Some 
protestors are threatening a violent 
takeover of the main government 
building, if the arrested protestors 
were not released, and if the Central 
Election Commission (CEC) did not 
release official results today. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Some of the opposition leaders 
were trying to keep the focus on 
elections issues.  During one speech 
Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca (and 
Liberal Party deputy leader) said he was 
still appealing to the Central Election 
Commission for a recount and presented 
an old woman who said she had been paid 
200 lei (USD 18) to vote Communist. 
Chirtoaca said that he also had a lot of 
other evidence to prove that the vote- 
count was fraudulent, and called for a 
repeat election. 
 
GOM Blames Romania, Relations Sour 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) President Voronin convened 
rectors, professors, local authorities 
and NGOs and called on them to stop 
students from going to protests.  He 
said that complaints about the election 
results were only a pretext for 
organizing a coup d'etat masterminded by 
"foreign secret services."  As a result, 
the Romanian Ambassador was declared 
persona non grata and a new visa regime 
was introduced for Romanian citizens. 
Rail service to Romania was cut off, at 
least for today and tomorrow. 
 
Accusations and Counter-Accusations 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The GOM has officially blamed 
opposition leaders Chirtoaca, Urechean 
and Filat for the violence.  PLDM leader 
Vlad Filat, accused PCRM and PPCD 
(Christian Democrats, in coalition with 
the PCRM) of devastating the  Presidency 
 
CHISINAU 00000288  002 OF 002 
 
 
and the Parliament buildings in order to 
distract people's attention from 
electoral frauds.  In addition, 
opposition leader Filat said in an April 
8 press conference, that the previous 
day's vandalism was organized by 50 
members of the "New Generation" 
Organization of the PPCD.  Filat claimed 
that these actions were possible only 
with the support of the police and the 
Service Information and Security 
(intelligence agency), which should have 
prevented the violence, but did not. 
PPCD leader Iurie Rosca said the events 
were orchestrated according to a Russian 
plan, and accused ex-president Petru 
Lucinschi of involvement in its 
organization.  (Note:  We've heard 
elsewhere that President Voronin is also 
accusing Lucinschi of organizing the 
events.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) By focusing on the Romanian 
angle, the GOM is shifting the focus away 
from opposition complaints of electoral 
fraud.  The most effective way to put to 
bed the allegations of fraud would be to 
allow a recount, publish data by polling 
station to show how national totals were 
calculated, and review voter lists.  By 
shifting blame to Bucharest, the 
government can try to avoid addressing 
the accusation of electoral fraud.   A 
souring of Moldova's relations with 
Romania will also jeopardize Moldova's 
interactions with the EU.  The Russians 
have joined in the accusations against 
the Romanians, allying with Voronin's 
suspicions.  The Russians are driving 
Voronin back into their waiting arms. 
Any appearance that the Moldovan 
population desires unification with 
Romania (as a few protestors have 
chanted) could help put the brakes on the 
5-plus-2 process.  As Russia plays on the 
perception that Moldova wants 
reunification, the Transnistrians will 
have a greater excuse for refusing to 
come to the table. 
CHAUDHRY