Communists reject Tofan government over unchanged cabinet
Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) MP Konstantin Starysh has said his party will vote against the cabinet proposed by Vasile Tofan. In an interview with First in Moldova, he argued that retaining most of the previous ministers meant the government’s policies would remain unchanged.
“No, I do not think we will vote for this government. More than that, I am certain that we will vote against this government. We see no point in merely replacing individuals,” the MP said.
According to Starysh, replacing Prime Minister Munteanu with Vasile Tofan, or with any other candidate, makes little difference if the wider team remains in place. He said ministers would still be bound by the policies of the governing party and unable to make independent decisions.
“These people, one way or another, sooner or later find themselves forced into the Procrustean bed of the policies pursued by the ruling party. They will certainly be unable to take a single step to the left or right. They cannot make any independent decisions,” he said.
Starysh warns of social spending cuts
Starysh described Vasile Tofan as a committed liberal and claimed that his economic approach was likely to involve severe cuts to social spending. In the communist MP’s view, such measures would be required if the government sought to restore programmes with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“For this government, it will be fundamentally important to renew some programmes with the IMF. That is impossible without cutting social spending. As a rule, the IMF generally demands reductions in public expenditure,” he said. “However, it is clear who will be made to pay and which spending will be cut. Savings will be made at the expense of pensioners, teachers and doctors, because there appear to be no other areas where cuts can be made.”
Starysh said the communists would not participate in what he called a “political spectacle” by supporting a cabinet that, in their view, was incapable of leading Moldova out of its current crisis.
“Therefore, we certainly cannot and will not vote for such a government,” he said.
PCRM refuses preliminary talks with Tofan
The Tofan government includes 12 of the 16 ministers who served in the previous cabinet. Parliament is due to vote on approving the new government on 21 July.
The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova did not participate in preliminary discussions with the new prime minister. PCRM parliamentary leader Diana Karaman said the party had stayed away because neither the government programme nor the proposed cabinet had been published.
Karaman described the proposed meeting as a formality and said responsibility for the future government rested with the parliamentary majority and President Maia Sandu. The party’s position went beyond merely refusing to attend the talks.
“The Party of Communists will not soil itself through association with an anti-people and corrupt government,” Karaman wrote on her Telegram channel.
Her statement left little doubt that the communist parliamentary group intends to oppose the Tofan government when it is put to a vote.
