Moldovan opposition leader forms coalition to challenge Sandu at parliament election

By Alexander Tanas

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldovan opposition leader Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was defeated at a presidential vote in November, said on Friday he was taking the helm of a coalition of three parties to challenge the pro-Western ruling majority at this year's parliamentary election.

The former prosecutor general came closer than expected to unseating pro-Western President Maia Sandu last year, losing in a run-off after campaigning for a balanced foreign policy that would look to Russia as well as West. He had been backed by the pro-Moscow socialist party.

The parliamentary election, which must be held by Oct. 11 but has not been scheduled yet, is expected to be closely fought and could significantly reduce the number of seats held by Sandu's pro-Western PAS party.

Moldova, located between Ukraine and Romania, is a geopolitical battleground between Russia the West, with a Romanian-speaking majority and large Russian-speaking minority. Sandu's government is striving to lead the country into the European Union by 2030.

Announcing his coalition, Stoianoglo told reporters at a briefing in Chisinau his main priority was "the consolidation of Moldovan society. We will not divide people into good and bad, our voters and strangers, different nationalities."

The "Alternative" coalition will bring together Chisinau mayor Ion Ceban's party, former prime minister Ion Chicu's party and former lawmaker Marc Tcaciuc's party.

Ceban, who spoke alongside Stoianoglo, said the time had come to "restore the faith of Moldova's citizens in reforms and European integration" as well as competent governance.

Moldova's opposition often criticizes Sandu and her PAS party for lacking efficiency and ignoring the interests of the public. Sandu's government says opponents aim to undermine the bid to join the EU.

"To avoid interpretations, we support European integration as the country's main goal... We must focus on the needs of people," Ceban said.

Russia has troops stationed in Transdniestria, a breakaway region of Moldova controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. Relations between Chisinau and Moscow deteriorated after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Sandu condemned.

The Moldovan government accused Russia last year of meddling in its presidential election and a referendum held simultaneously on aspirations to join the EU, which passed but more narrowly than forecast. Moscow denies meddling.

Since the start of this year Moscow and Chisinau have clashed over gas supplies to Transdniestria, which produces electricity for the rest of Moldova and where thousands of people have been left without gas or winter heating.

Russian gas flows to Transdniestria over Ukraine stopped at the start of January when a transit agreement expired. Moldova has said Moscow should send the gas by other routes, but Russia's Gazprom has halted exports, citing an unpaid Moldovan debt, which Chisinau says it does not recognise.

Chisinau accuses Russia of artificially creating an energy crisis to affect parliamentary elections. Russia blames Moldova and Ukraine.

(Writing by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Tom Balmforth and)