The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (Romanian: Partidul Liberal Democrat din Moldova, PLDM) is a conservative political party in Moldova. The party is led by Tudor Deliu. Until 2016, PLDM was led by Vlad Filat, who was Prime Minister of Moldova from 2009 to 2013, in two cabinets. Immediately after the 2014 parliamentary elections, with 21 seats in the Moldovan Parliament, PLDM was the largest of the three democratic pro-European parliamentary parties.
The party's founding congress was held on 8 December 2007 and Vlad Filat was elected as president. The initiative group of the party was centered on Filat, who had previously been a prominent member of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), who was disappointed with the direction taken by that political party under Dumitru Diacov's leadership. Soon, many local branches of the Christian Democratic Popular Party (PPCD), disappointed with Iurie Roșca's policy of cooperation with the Communist Party of Moldova (PCRM), joined PLDM en masse. The party also attracted many prominent members of civil society.
At its first election, in April 2009, PLDM won 15 seats, which increased to 18 three months later, after which Filat became the Prime Minister, leading the Alliance for European Integration (AIE). In November 2010, the PLDM jumped to 32 seats, becoming the dominant non-Communist party. The AIE was replaced by the Pro-European Coalition in 2013, when Iurie Leancă replaced Filat as Prime Minister, with Filat remaining as the party chairman.
Contents
History
On October 8, 2007, the initiative group composed of 53 leaders renowned in their fields, launched the idea of creating the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova. The leaders of the group included: Vlad Filat, Deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova; Alexandru Tănase, member of the Bar Association of the Republic of Moldova, Chișinău Municipal Council adviser; Mihai Godea, Director of CONTACT Center; Iulian Fruntasu, Director of European Initiatives Programme at Soros Foundation;, Angela Braşoveanu, director of "Punkt" magazine; Veaceslav Negruță, consultant, Project on Improving Competitiveness; Valeriu Streleț, Director of "Bioprotect" company; Veronica Lupu, president of the Association "Women for Contemporary Society"; Andrei Malașevschi, Cantemir district president; Nicolae Platon, chief of the State Tax Inspectorate; Liliana Bolocan, head of the Department of Psychology, Institute for Continuing Education; Ion Sturza, vice-president of Nisporeni district; Victor Rosca, director of the Tolerance and Pluralism Promotion Center, etc.
In their statements, the initiative group members acknowledged the profound crisis in the Republic of Moldova and the inability of political parties to face the situation. The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova emerged as a capable alternative to start the process of moral reorganization of the political class, rebirth and modernization of the country, reestablishment of the society back on its natural track of democratic development.
For two months, over 20,000 citizens from all districts of the country submitted applications to join the Liberal Democratic Party. Organizations were created in all territorial-administrative units of the second level in Chișinău, Bălți, Tiraspol, Bender and Gagauzia.
The first founding Congress of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova took place on December 8, 2007 in Chișinău. It was attended by 592 delegates from 38 local organizations. The Congress approved the Program and Statute and elected the governing and control bodies of the party.
The second Congress of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova took place on September 27, 2008, in Bălți. It was attended by 547 delegates from local party organizations. The Congress debated the issues related to the work of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova between the congresses, amending and supplementing the Statute of PLDM, as well as issues related to Moldova current domestic situation. The Liberal Democratic Teachers Association was formed within the party on September 13, 2008 and on October 11, 2008 – the Liberal Democratic Doctors and Pharmacists Association. Formation of socio-professional associations within the party is stipulated in the statute of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova.
Ideology and political platform
According to its statute, the Liberal Democratic Party is a center-right party with conservative doctrine. The strategic programmatic goal set by this party is the reconstruction and modernization of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the establishment of rule-of-law state and efficient market economy. In its program, the Liberal Democratic Party aims at becoming the main driver for overcoming economic, social and civilization gaps, which separate Moldova from Europe of the 21st century.
According to the party's political program on its website, freedom, the rule of law, democracy, equality, responsibility, solidarity and subsidiarity are their values. The party believes that freedom it "constitutes the inalienable natural right of every individual and the cornerstone of prosperity and progress". The party believes that the rule of law is the Moldovan Constitution. According to their website: "Normative acts issued by the public administration arise from the constitutional provisions and existing legislation. All actions taken by any citizen, institution or legal entity are carried out within and within the limits of the existing legal field."
The party believes, according to their political program, that democracy is the "fundamental option for ensuring modern administration", with characteristics such as the multi-party system, the freedom of non-governmental organizations, free and universal suffrage, the separation of powers in the state, and a developed parliamentary system. Equality is a universal value highlights the opportunities that citizens have and their exercises of freedom, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or religion. However, the party also believes in limiting freedom "so that it does not degenerate into undermining the collective values on which society is based."
The party believes in solidarity, which "constitutes the essence of the social nature of the individual and the assurance of the human condition." According to the party's program, in societies, where citizens realize their individual and professional aspirations at the interface between responsibility, individualism and solidarity, a social formula is reached that contributes to the continuous modernization of the political and social domain. Human capital, in the form of civic culture, not only individual, contributes to the maximization of general well-being.
Political support
PLDM's voters tend to be young and well-educated, and from high socio-economic classes. They are the party most supported by people that have worked abroad, as well as unemployed people. 43% of the party's voters have a high level of education.
The PLDM is overwhelmingly supported by young people; 43% of their support comes from people aged 18 to 29, making them the party most dependent on young people's votes. Like every major party except the Communists, the PLDM's voters are overwhelmingly ethnically Romanian, 15% of whom support the PLDM. However, unlike the PLM or PDM, the PLDM does receive some support from ethnic Russians, 5% of whom support the PLDM.
Leadership
The National Political Council includes 95 members and the Permanent Central Bureau includes 18 members.
Activities
The campaign "Moldova without Voronin, Moldova without Communists", launched on January 30, 2008, includes extensive activities and demonstrations, public debates, meetings with citizens, legislative initiatives, petitions, etc. Those are aimed at dismantling the communist authoritarian regime, through legal means. In the first stage, the Liberal Democratic Party organized a Republican referendum regarding constitutional amendments to the mode of electing the President of the Republic of Moldova and Members of Parliament. The Liberal Democrats propose that the president be elected through general and direct suffrage, and deputies be elected based on a mixed system: 50 deputies elected in single-member constituencies and 51 deputies - on party lists. The meeting of the formation of the Initiative Group for conducting the republican referendum on constitutional change took place on February 23, 2008 in Chișinău, with over 5,000 citizens from all districts of the country.
Within the period stipulated by law, over 224,176 signatures in favor of initiating a referendum were collected. Based on the constitutional norm, this number of signatures is sufficient to initiate a referendum. However, to block the initiative of amending the Constitution, at the end of the campaign, the CEC speculated a loophole in the Constitution and said that 340,000 signatures are necessary to initiate a referendum. In these circumstances, the PLDM decided not to submit lists to the CEC.
Another major action launched by the Liberal Democratic Party is the campaign to speed up the signing of the convention on small border traffic. In order to inform citizens in the border area about the provisions and facilities offered by the convention, on May 11, 2008, PLDM organized meetings with citizens in 13 border districts, which were attended by over 5000 people. On May 25, 2008, the PLDM held a meeting in Chișinău to support the convention, which was attended by more than seven thousand citizens. On June 15, the Liberal Democratic Party organized 30 meetings with citizens from border towns, which were attended by about 5,000 people. Following the PLDM appeal to the local authorities, so that they support the signing of the convention by special decisions, ten district councils and Chișinău municipal council, together accounting for 1 691 000 citizens, urged the Government to sign the convention. From July 21 to September 20, 2008, PLDM organized 86 meetings with citizens in the border areas and distributed 200,000 leaflets with information about the convention and the benefits for the residents of that area. On October 1, 2008, the Liberal Democratic Party submitted to the European Commission Delegation in Chișinău, a memorandum addressed to the European Parliament and European Commission, which requests European forums involvement in order to ensure that the convention on small border traffic is signed.
PLDM logo
The logo of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) represents a secular oak, with broad crown, branched lush foliage, vigorous trunk. PLDM acronym underpins the oak. The stem and roots are brown and the foliage is green.
The oak has the following meanings: force, power, solidity, resistance, persistence. The oak symbol is interwoven with Moldovan national history.