Moldovan parliamentary election, 2001, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (reinstituted in 1993 after being outlawed in 1991), gained 71 of the 101 MPs, and on 4 April 2001, elected Vladimir Voronin as the countrys third president (re-elected in 2005). The country became the first post-Soviet state where a non-reformed Communist Party returned to power. New governments were formed by Vasile Tarlev (19 April 2001 - 31 March 2008), and Zinaida Greceanîi (31 March 2008 - 14 September 2009). In 2001-2003 Moldova-Russia relations improved, but then temporarily deteriorated in 2003-2006, in the wake of the failure of the Kozak memorandum, culminating in the 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines. The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova managed to stay in power for eight years. The fragmentation of the liberal bloc (aka the democrats) helped consolidate its power. The decline of the Communist Party started in 2009 after Marian Lupu joined the Democratic Party and thus attracted many of the Moldovans supporting the Communists.. How many years was Vasile Tarlev hold office?