Moldova's Government Falls After No-Confidence Vote (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

November 9, 1999
Dow Jones Newswires
Moldova's Government Falls After No-Confidence Vote
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP)--Accused of corruption and mishandling the economy,
Moldova's centrist government was dismissed by parliament Tuesday in a
no-confidence vote.
Lawmakers voted 58-42 to oust the government of Prime Minister Ion Sturza,
who has led the government in the impoverished former Soviet republic for
the past eight months.
Ahead of the vote late Monday, President Petru Lucinschi charged the
government with being more concerned with its own image than with the
economy.
The rightist Popular Front and the Communists will form a new government, to
be named by Lucinschi in 10 days.
However, there were doubts that the new coalition could pull Moldova out of
its economic recession and carry out market reforms, particularly as a $35
million IMF loan had been dependent on Sturza's government remaining in
power.
"This coalition will last only a few weeks because each party will follow
its own interests," said parliament speaker Dumitru Diacov, who accused
Lucinschi of maneuvering the government's downfall.
The average monthly salary is just 180 lei ($17) and many retirees and state
workers have not been paid for months. The country owes ROL600 million ($60
million) in unpaid salaries and pensions.
Moldova badly needs foreign loans to shore up its ailing economy which has
been hit by economic turmoil in Russia, its main trading partner.
Seeking some measure of stability, the International Monetary Fund last week
said that if parliament voted out the government and failed to privatize its
tobacco and wine industries it would not be eligible for a $35 million loan
to bolster hard currency reserves.
On Friday parliament rejected a move to sell off the key industries and
introduced a motion to remove the government.