Igor Dodon

Igor Dodon
President of Moldova
Elect
Taking office
December 2016
Prime Minister Pavel Filip
Succeeding Nicolae Timofti
Minister of Economy of Moldova
In office
18 September 2006  14 September 2009
Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanîi
Preceded by Valeriu Lazăr
Succeeded by Valeriu Lazăr
Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova
In office
31 March 2008  14 September 2009
Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanîi
Preceded by Zinaida Greceanîi
Succeeded by Iurie Leancă
Personal details
Born (1975-02-18) 18 February 1975
Sadova, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Moldova)
Political party Party of Communists (Before 2011)
Party of Socialists (2011–2016)
Alma mater Agricultural State University of Moldova
Website www.dodon.md

Igor Dodon (Romanian pronunciation: [iˈgor doˈdon]; born 18 February 1975) is a Moldovan politician who is the President-elect of Moldova, and the former leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova. He is a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and served as Minister of Trade and Economics in the communist governments of Vasile Tarlev and Zinaida Greceanîi from September 2006 to September 2009.

Biography

Igor Dodon was born on 18 February 1975 in Sadova village in the Călărași District of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. He studied economics at the Agricultural State University of Moldova and received a doctorate in 1998 from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova.[1] During the years 1997 - 2005, he worked as a professor and lecturer in the academic field.[2]

He is married and has three children.[3][4]

Political career

Dodon was appointed to the post of Associate Minister of Trade and Economics in May 2005, during the second Tarlev Cabinet. He assumed the position of Minister of Trade and Economics in September 2006. He held the position until September 2009, when the government of Zinaida Greceanîi ended. Dodon also held the post of Associate Prime Minister under Greceanîi from 2008 until 2009.[5]

In June 2011, Dodon lost to Dorin Chirtoacă in the election for mayor of Chișinău. He took 49.4% of the vote.[6]

In November 2011, Dodon left the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) citing hopes that a deal could be worked out with the ruling Alliance for European Integration to elect a president and end a constitutional crisis that had dragged on since the resignation of Vladimir Voronin in 2009.[7] Greceanîi and Veronica Abramciuc left at the same time.[8][9] On 18 December 2011, Dodon joined the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) and was elected chairman of the party.[10][11]

On 16 March 2012, three former comunists (Dodon, Greceanîi and Abramciuc) voted for the Alliance for European Integration (AIE)'s candidate Nicolae Timofti as President of Moldova. Later, Dodon stated that he regrets his vote for Timofti.[12][13]

After he was elected as the President of Moldova, due to specifics of Moldovan law, Dodon resigned as PSRM chairman and left the party, being replaced by Zinaida Greceanîi as interim.[14]

Political views

Igor Dodon is considered a pro-Russian politician and in favor of the federalization of Moldova.[15][16]

Controversy

The proposed flag for Moldova by PCRM and PSRM

In 2010, the Party of Communists (PCRM) started promoting a new official flag for Moldova.[17] In March 2012, Igor Dodon and the Party of Socialists (PSRM) invited PCRM to initiate a referendum to change the national flag of Moldova from the original tricolour (similar to Romania's, except charged with Moldova's coat of arms) to a red-blue bicolor flag.[18][19] The proposed flag is considered by the Academy of Sciences of Moldova as a "pure political invention".[17]

In November 2012, Dodon posted on his Facebook profile a photo that shows him wearing clothes printed with a patch of the flag of the Russian Federation, which was criticized as evidence for Dodon's alleged Russophilia.[20]

In November 2014, the socialist politician of Russian ethnicity Valentin Crîlov accused Igor Dodon of being an "instrument of scenarios that would cause 'bloodshed' in Moldova", and labeled the Party of Socialists of "being in the service of another country" such as Russia. He also accused the party of becoming a threat to the "stability, peace and the very existence" of the Republic of Moldova and its extraordinarily large base of financial resources — the origin of which bear "reasonable doubt".[21][22]

In October 2016, during the presidential election campaign, Igor Dodon affirmed that Crimea, the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine, "is a territory of the Russian Federation".[23][24]

References

  1. "BIOGRAFIE: Igor Dodon, un politician prorus care se declară promotor al valorilor tradiţionale". Mediafax.ro. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  2. "Dupa 3 baieti, mai vrea si... fete. Igor Dodon si-a adus baietelul si sotia acasa" (in Romanian). PRO TV.
  3. "Ce frumos! Uite ce DECLARATIE de DRAGOSTE i-a facut Igor Dodon sotiei" (in Romanian). Actualitati.md.
  4. Politic Versiune pentru tipar. "CEC a anunţat rezultatele finala la Chişinău - Moldova Azi". Azi.md. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  5. "Трое на выход". Interfax.ru. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  6. "Party defections could let Moldova name president - World". Reuters. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  7. "(video) Dodon, Greceanîi și Abramciuc părăsesc fracțiunea PCRM și sunt gata să voteze președintele țării". Unimedia.md. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  8. "Игорь Додон стал членом Партии социалистов". News.mail.ru. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  9. "(UPDATE) Игорь Додон избран председателем Партии социалистов". Ru.publika.md. 18 December 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  10. 62 de deputați l-au votat pe N. Timofti. Urmează decizia de VALIDARE a Curții Constituționale. TIMPUL. 16 martie 2012
  11. Dodon regretă că l-a votat pe Timofti în calitate de președinte. UNIMEDIA.info. 22 martie 2013
  12. Decis! Igor Dodon nu mai este președinte al PSRM. Zinaida Greceanîi va deține interimatul, unimedia.info
  13. Pro-Russian Candidate Leads Moldova Presidential Vote but Faces Runoff
  14. Moldova presidential election appears headed to runoff
  15. 1 2 „Steagul lui Ştefan ce Mare”, o nouă invenţie propagandistică promovată de PCRM (Romanian)
  16. Socialiștii doresc referendum pentru a schimba „tricolorul românesc” și așteaptă susținerea comuniștilor (Romanian)
  17. "Igor Dodon vrea REFERENDUM pentru a SCHIMBA steagul tricolor al R. Moldova". Timpul - Știri din Moldova.
  18. "HotNews.md / Istorii din MD / FOTO - Igor Dodon în ipostaze ȘOCANTE". hotnews.md.
  19. "„A pus „Partidul Socialiștilor", accentuez, „din R. Moldova", nu în relații de parteneriat, ci în serviciul altei țări"". Ziarul de Gardă.
  20. Igor Dodon prezintă pericol mare pentru pacea și stabilitatea din Moldova, Valentin Crîlov. Alegeri 2014, ipn.md
  21. Dodon: Crimeea este teritoriu al Federației Ruse at timpul.md (Romanian)
  22. Moldovan presidential race leader says Crimea "Russian" at unian.info
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