Moldova's dilemmas in democratizing and reintegrating transnistria

Problems of Post-Communism

Volumn 53, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 29-41

  Protsyk, Oleh ^a  

^a European Centre for Minority Issues   (Germany)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 33747049835     PISSN: 10758216     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2753/PPC1075-8216530403     Document Type: Review

References (36)

1. See, for example, "Appeal of Civil Society Representatives of the Republic of Moldova," Jurnal de Chisinau, no. 236 (November 21, 2003);
2. "Declaration of Representatives of Civil Society in the Republic of Moldova" in response to the letter published on August 5, 2005, by the U.S. ambassador, Wall Street Journal and Jurnal de Chisinau, no. 192 (August 15, 2003).
3. On the details of the Russian ban on the importation of Moldovan wine products, see Foreign Policy Association of Moldova, "Ban on Moldovan Wines to Russia," Press Digest on Transnistrian Conflict, Special Issue 16 (April 6, 2006). The dispute over the ban has only begun, but it could have significant negative consequences for the Moldovan economy.
4. The so-called Kozak Plan II, generally considered to be a modified version of the Kozak Memorandum proposed by the Russian mediators in 2003, had already surfaced in October 2005, but was rejected by the Moldovans and panned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). See, for example, "Transnistrian Conflict," Adept (October 12-25, 2005).
5. Igor Botan, "Presidential Elections," Adept (March 7-April 3, 2005) (www.adept.md/en/comments/political/200504071/).
6. Luke March, "Socialism with Unclear Characteristics: The Moldovan Communists in Government," Demokratizatsiya 12, no. 1 (2004): 507-24.
7. The plan is available at www.ipp.md/files/Comentarii/Yushchenko_ plan_eng14.doc.
8. Vladimir Socor, "Putin-Yushchenko Joint Declaration on Moldova Criticized by Bucharest," Eurasia Daily Monitor (January 16, 2006).
9. Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Decision on the Ukrainian Initiative Concerning the Settlement of the Transdniestrian Conflict and Measures for Democratisation and Demilitarisation of the Transdniestrian Zone (August 1,2005) (www.parlament.md/lawarchive/decisions/117-XVI-10.06.2005/en.html).
10. Gottfried Hanne provided useful inspiration for the discussion in this section.
11. The EU border-monitoring mission does not have the capacity to monitor the entire volume of cross-border traffic in goods, so its reports may underestimate the intensity of illegal border activities.
12. According to one estimate, proceeds from these sales amounted to at least 20 percent of Moldova's entire exports in the previous years.
13. Guillermo O'Donnell, Transitions from Authoritarian Rule, 4 vols. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986);
14. John Higley and Richard Gunther, ed., Elites and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America and Southern Europe (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992);
15. Juan J. Linz, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996).
16. Valerie Bunce, "Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Post-Communist Experience," World Politics 55, no. 2 (January 2003): 167.
17. On the preferences of minority leaders, see Valerie Bunce, "Status Quo, Reformist, or Secessionist Politics: Explaining Minority Behavior in Multinational States," NCEEER Working Paper (July 2004) (www.nceeer. org/Working%20Papers/paperpdfs/bunce071304.pdf).
18. For a review of the origins of preferences for secession, see Pal Kolstø, ed., National Integration and Violent Conflict in Post-Soviet Societies: The Cases of Estonian and Moldova (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003);
19. Stefan Troebst, "The 'Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic': From Conflict-Driven State-Building to State-Driven Nation-Building," European Yearbook of Minority Issues (2002/2003): 5-30.
20. For discussion of efforts by Transnistria's leaders to cultivate regional support for the status quo, see Moldova: Regional Tensions over Transnistria, International Crisis Group Report No. 157 (2004).
21. Troebst, "The 'Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic.'"
22. N.V. Babilunga, "Kak nam postroit' i obustroit' obshchee gosudarstvo?" (How Can We Build a Common State?), in Fenomen pridnestrovja, 2d ed., ed. Babilunga et al. (Tiraspol: RIO POU, 2003), pp. 248-63.
23. Having learned from their experience in the breakaway region of Abkazhia, where intra-elite competition threatened the status-quo relations between Georgia and Abkhazia, the envoys from the Russian presidential administration were quick to appear on the scene when intra-elite conflict in Transnistria led to the introduction in the Transnistrian parliament in May 2005 of a constitutional reform draft intended to limit the powers of the president and increase the powers of parliament.
24. "Moldova: Regional Tensions over Transnistria," International Crisis Group Report No. 157 (2004).
25. Oleh Protsyk, "Federalism and Democracy," Post-Soviet Affairs 20, no. 1 (2005): 72-90.
26. For the distinction between liberalization and democratization, see Linz, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation.
27. Moldova Azi, "Memorandum on Supporting Effective Democratisation in Transnistria" (July 27, 2005) (www.azi.md/tribune?ID=35269/).
28. Protsyk, "Federalism and Democracy."
29. "Reforma semnadtsati" (Reform by the Seventeen), Olvia Press (August 8, 2005) (www.olvia.idknet.com).
30. Galina Selari, "Transnistria Economy: Regional Dimension," Adept (July 4-29, 2005) (www.e-democracy.md/en/comments/socioeconomic/200507292/).
31. See quotations from the interview with President Smirnov in "Reforma semnadtsati."
32. Viktor Kolossov, "A Small State vs. a Self-Proclaimed Republic: Nation-Building, Territorial Identities, and Prospects of Conflict Resolution," in From the Adriatic to the Caucasus: The Dynamics of (De) Stabilization, ed. Stefano Bianchini (Ravenna: Longo Editore, 2001), cited in Troebst, "The Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic.'" The perception of differences in the quality of life between Transnistria and rest of Moldova may have changed substantially, given the stabilization and moderate improvement of the economy under the communists.
33. Goskomstat, Itogi vsesoiuznoi perepisi naseleniia 1989 goda (Results of All-Union Census of 1989) (Moscow: Gosstatizdat, 1990).
34. B.G. Bomeshko, "Pridnestrovje: Gody sozidaniia" (Transnistria: Years of Building), in Fenomen pridnestrovja, pp. 94-122.
35. Troebst, "The Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic.'"
36. See, for example, the Transnistrian justice minister's interview on the conflict between parliament and the ministry: Andrei Mospanov, "Ministr Yustitsii Podverg kritike poslednie initsiativy verkhovnogo soveta" (Justice Minister Criticizes Last Initiatives of the Parliament), Olvia Press (April 4, 2005) (www.olvia.idknet.com).