The Newsletter is based on the radio programme broadcast on November 21 st , 2016, produced by the Foreign Policy Association of Moldova in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES). The programme is broadcast on the Radio Moldova public channel. The programme is part of the FES/APE“European Integration and Foreign Policy Dialogues” Project. The content can be reproduced by mentioning the source. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2016 NR.10(128) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The materials are realized by Lina Grau, foreign policy expert and programme coordinator with APE. TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. The Republic of Moldova after the presidential elections. Igor Dodon : We will have to carry out negotiations in a tripartite format – Russia, UE, and the Republic of Moldova 2. Ion Sturza : The presidential elections haven’t brought about social peace, change and stability that the Republic of Moldova needs so much 3. Experts’ opinion about the situation after the presidential elections and prospects for the Republic of Moldova. Pavel Postică , Promo-Lex; Petru Macovei , API; Veronica Crețu , president of the Open Government Institute; Victor Chirilă , executive director of APE. The last period was marked by several important events for Moldova. According to the statements made immediately after the elections by the representatives of the international observers’ mission, the second round of presidential elections in Moldova respected the fundamental freedoms and international standards. However, the mission criticized the insufficient ballot papers in some polling stations abroad, but also in stations inside the country, for the residents of the Transnistrian region.“Despite the efforts to prepare for a large presence at voting, in certain polling stations abroad and in stations for the Transnistrian voters, many citizens were unable to vote because the stations ran out of ballot papers,” reads the press release of the mission. Hundreds of people protested in Chisinau against the way the elections were organized in the second round of presidential elections at the polling stations abroad and stations where Transnistrian residents voted. They demanded the resignation of the Central Election Commission and repeated presidential elections. Protests were also held in the diaspora, whose representatives said they would sue the Moldovan government for having restricted the right to vote of its citizens abroad. The Government and Parliament will have a constructive relationship with the newly elected President, Igor Dodon, said the speaker Adrian Candu and Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who congratulated both candidates that competed in the second round of presidential elections. The Prime Minister, Pavel Filip, said that people should be the main winner and that the Association Agreement with the EU and the reforms are irreversible, regardless of the presidential election results. Andrian Candu said that Moldova’s European future does not depend on one person even if he is president. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia is opting for normalizing the relations with Moldova after Igor Dodon’s victory. Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow is pleased with Dodon’s statements that he would like a closer relationship with Moscow as well as with the statements of the winner of the Bulgarian presidential elections, Rumen Radev. According to the Interfax Russian agency, Peskov spoke against using the“pro­Russian presidents” term in the case of the two winners. Igor Dodon said he was personally congratulated by the Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Putin is the only head of state who congratulated the socialist leader on his victory in elections before the Constitutional Court validated the results. The European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Johannes Hahn, said he received assurances from the Prime Minister, Pavel Philip, immediately after the second round of elections, that Moldova will continue its pro-European policy after Igor Dodon’s victory in the presidential elections. In an interview for the Radio Free Europe, Hahn said he is planning to visit Moldova in the first four months of next year, during a tour to all Eastern Partnership countries. As for Igor Dodon’s victory, Hahn said“the developments must be closely monitored, but there is no reason for excessive nervousness”. According to Hahn, Dodon’s victory is also due to the fact that the past so-called pro-European governments have compromised the European integration idea by being involved in corruption cases. Republic of Moldova after presidential elections For the first time in the last 20 years, Moldovans were called to the ballot boxes to elect the president. In the second round, the leader of the Socialists Party, Igor Dodon, obtained 52.11 percent and the Solidarity Action Party leader, Maia Sandu,- 47.89 percent. The turnout in the second round was 53.45 percent and the difference between the two candidates- more than 67 thousand votes. The new president can take office after his mandate is validated by the Constitutional Court, which has not yet occurred. In the second round of elections, an unprecedented mobilization of the diaspora took place. The mobilization was done through social networks and the turnout of over 138 000 was nearly double compare to the first round. Thousands of people were unable to vote at the 100 polling stations opened abroad because of overcrowding and lack of ballot papers at several polling stations. Each polling station abroad was provided with 3,000 ballot papers, the maximum amount as provided by the Electoral Code. Nearly four thousand voters filed, individually or collectively, complaints Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 10(128), November 2016 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md