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| Europe |
| Transdniestria votes to stay with Mother Russia |
| 2006-09-19 |
| Voters in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria have overwhelmingly backed plans to join Russia, strengthening the Kremlin's hand in its battle with the west for influence over the "frozen conflicts" of the former Soviet Union. Election officials in the tiny province on the edge of the European Union said yesterday that 97.1% of voters had cast ballots in a Sunday referendum in favour of continuing the region's 16-year-old de facto independence, with the ultimate goal of joining Moscow. Nearly 79% of the region's 390,000 registered voters participated in the referendum. "The Dniester people are pinning their hopes for the future firmly on the Russian Federation," Igor Smirnov, the region's self-declared president, told reporters in its capital, Tiraspol. The referendum was not recognised by Moldova, the EU or the US, but was welcomed by Russia. The Kremlin has made no promises to recognise or absorb Transdniestria, but supports the region financially and maintains a force of 1,200 troops there. While the Moldovan foreign minister Andrei Stratan labelled the vote "a political farce", the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said it "reflected the legitimate will of the people". Attached to Moldova by Stalin after the Soviet seizure of Moldovan lands from Romania, Transdniestria is a traditionally Russian-speaking region. It broke away from Moldova in a 1992 war after the Soviet collapse and 1,500 people were killed amid fierce fighting. Desperately poor, the region relies on Russian support to survive and many of its residents are stateless and unable to leave. Its government has been accused of perpetuating the Soviet system with tight controls on society and the economy, and Moldova says the region has become a haven for smuggling. Talks aimed at giving Transdniestria special status within Moldova have repeatedly failed. |
| Posted by:Steve White |