2014 Moldovan Parliamentary Elections, polling location in Orlando, Florida

Those of you who follow this blog know that I was intimately involved with the 2014 mid-term elections here in Florida.

There were important elections for Moldova in November 2014 as well.  The parliamentary elections were expected to serve as a referendum on the voters' confidence in the governing coalition's pro-Western path towards closer association with the EU. Leading up to the election, polls showed a dead-heat between the pro-European liberal parties and the Moscow-oriented Socialist and Communist parties, with voters evenly split between continuing on the path towards integration with the EU or moving closer to Russia and the Eurasian Customs Union.

As with the gubernatorial election in Florida, voter turnout was expected to be the decisive factor in the election results in Moldova. Many Moldovans were (are) disillusioned and frustrated by the corruption scandals and were (are) still suffering economic setbacks. (Moldova has the unfortunate distinction of being labeled "the poorest country in Europe.")  There was also speculation as to how the vote of the Moldovan expat community would affect turnout and election results.  (See also "Moldova at a Crossroads" article)

Under Moldovan law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assists with setting up polling locations abroad where Moldovan expats can vote. Some 95 polling stations were arranged outside of RM.  There were 6 polling locations in the U.S., one of which was in Orlando, FL.

Peggy and I drove over so that we could observe the elections on Sunday, November 30th.  The polling station was at a Holiday Inn near Universal Studios.  (This is also a polling location for Orange County, so recently a polling location for the 2014 gubernatorial election in Florida.)

We saw Moldovans travel from all over Florida, and even some who made the trip from Atlanta, to vote in the parliamentary elections.  We enjoyed meeting with the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the US and the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Moldova (based in Miami) as well as Moldovans living in Tampa Bay.

Alegeri: "Elections"

With the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the US and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova (based in Miami)

The ballot boxes

For more about the 2014 parliamentary elections, see the  IFES Guide to the 2014 Parliamentary Elections


For further analysis of the election results, see Hill: "Moldova's Woes make it Fair Game for Russia" article

While more seats were won by the pro-European parties in the November election, the difficult task of coalition-building and forming a new government remained.  It took nearly 2 months for a Speaker of the Parliament to be elected (Andrian Candu, on January 23) and, as of today (February 12), the Parliament rejected the government proposed by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca. Leanca said the vote "'raises questions about the functionality' of a landmark economic and political accord Moldova signed with the European Union in June. . .President Nicolae Timofti must now nominate a new candidate to try and form a government." (See Radio Free Europe article)


(See posts on this blog from August 2010 and from November 2010 for more about my time observing the constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections in Chisinau.)