No significant progress was made in the Republic of Moldova in investigating those to blame for the so-called grand corruption. The development partners of the Republic of Moldova are waiting for the denouement of the political negotiations, USAID Moldova Mission Director Karen Hilliard, who is completing her duties in Moldova this week, stated in an interview for RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service. In another development, Karen Hilliard said the Republic of Moldova will continue to be important for the U.S. and the American citizens because it is a country situated at the boarder of Europe that aspires to one day join the European Union, aspires to the European values, but there are forces that want to hamper this process. The United States and other international donors realize the problems faced by Moldova and want to help the country overcome them so that it could continue on the chosen road.

The President of Moldova Igor Dodon said that if the parliamentary groups during the next two weeks, until June 7, do not reach an agreement as to the formation of a government coalition, he will sign a Parliament dissolution decree. He condemned the political selfishness and exaggerated ambitions of some of the MPs and parliamentary groups. According to him, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova wait for results, for a parliamentary majority and expect the MPs to start work.

Political pundit Anatol Țăranu said the current political stalemate derived from the absolutely differing interests of the political parties. “The election of the Parliament Speaker means removal of Igor Dodon from the offside where he found himself because the Constitutional Court interpreted the President’s prerogatives in a particular way. A Socialist Speaker would mean that Igor Dodon would become a very active political personality with very big powers even if the Socialists do not dominate Parliament now,” Anatol Țăranu stated in the program “Emphasis on today” on TVR Moldova channel.

Transparency International Moldova director Liliana Carasciuc said we now witness not only a post-electoral crisis, but a much more profound crisis. “I’ve got the impression that the Bloc ACUM was afraid to allow the Socialists to come to power as they would have been accused by the population and the donors of this. The PSRM was afraid that by supporting all the electoral projects of the PDM, which made big promises without having financial resources, it will have to find money and will not find this money without the Bloc ACUM,” stated Liliana Carasciuc.

A group of former MPs, members of the academia and intelligentsia called the European Civic Movement is urging MPs to show responsibility and form a parliamentary majority that guarantees Moldova’s integration into the civilizational space of the EU. In a statement posted to FB, the Movement calls on MPs to initiate a constructive dialog based on the Association Agreement and develop a European integration roadmap for the years 2019-2022 . The Movement says the risks of not doing this include the reversal of the European integration and the federalization of Moldova. To overcome the atmosphere of distrust between the lawmakers, the Movement suggest, a deal should be brokered by Moldova’s development partners.

The president of Our Party Renato Usatyi that for his party to gain at least 15 seats of MP in the eventual snap elections, he will have to return to Moldova so that he is arrested before the elections. “I must calculate everything very well as this case involves politics and my personal life. We will see if this brings plusses too,” stated the politician, referring to the possibility of about 15 persons from Our Party entering the legislature.

A  new political entity called the Gagauz-Bulgarian People’s Party “Budzhak” is seeking registration. Despite coming from the Gagauz autonomy and the district of Taraclia, which is home to about half of Moldova’s ethnic Bulgarians, the representatives of the future party say they aim to represent citizens from all over Moldova. Igor Yanak, dean of the Comrat University’s Law Department and the group’s leader, has told IPN the new party is needed because “today there are only elitist parties in government”.  “Our new party will represent citizens’ interests before as well as after elections”, stated Yanak, suggesting that mainstream parties seem to forget to consult with the people once in Parliament and are rather driven by corporate interests.

The administrators of two companies were fined 46,000 lei ($2,560) each and the companies themselves were ordered to pay fines of 165,000 lei ($9,180) after a district court found them guilty of facilitating illegal migration. Additionally, the proceeds of crime seized during the investigation phase - the equivalent of some $11,000 in cash - were confiscated by the government. The Prosecutor General’s Office said in a press release that besides the pecuniary punishment the companies were also banned from providing recruitment services for jobs abroad for a period of five years.

The State Weather Service is warning that water levels in the Nistru River will be rising through next Wednesday from Naslavcea village, where the river enters Moldova, all the way downstream to the Dubăsari Dam. This is an increase from the standard 700 cumecs. As a result, Nistru levels downstream will rise by a vertical meter and a half from the usual. But there is no risk of floods, assures Cazacu, as protection dams are design to resist up to 2,600 cumecs.

Details on IPN!