The leader of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon threatens there will be mounted large-scale protests if the U.S. starts to build the a New Embassy Compound on the site of the former Republican Stadium. He said his party will not give up and will oppose this project at all its implementation stages. The Socialist councilors will also not adopt such a decision when it is submitted to the Chisinau Municipal Council for consideration, IPN reports.
Igor Dodon noted the Constitutional Court’s decision by which the law adopted earlier by the PSRM-Shor majority, which banned the sale of the site of the former Republican Stadium, was declared unconstitutional is a “wrong step”. If the New U.S. Embassy Compound starts to be erected in central Chisinau, traffic downtown will be blocked for at least a year.
“Now PAS continues to do what Plahotniuc did – offers the lot to the Americans. If the citizens ask to block this construction, including by massive protests, we will do this. According to the procedure, the Government that will be invested is to sign an agreement with the U.S. and to negotiate the price. I would have understood if the 5 ha lot had been put out to auction and several bidders had taken part, but this is a direct transaction,” Igor Dodon stated in the program “Moldova live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1.
Dodon said the sale of the lot to the U.S. is the payment made by PAS to the Americans for the assistance it received in the election campaign. The Socialists will block the construction of the New Compound at all the stages.
“The decision is to be drafted and proposed for public consultations. Later, CMC is to approve the urban development plan for this area by 26 votes. The Socialist councilors will be against. The procedure is intricate and we at each stage will be firm on our position and will defend the interests of the Republic of Moldova,” stated Igor Dodon.
In 2018, the Filip Government approved a decision to transfer a 5 ha lot, which is the site of the former Republican Stadium, to the U.S. Government for construction of a New Embassy Compound. The decision was later revoked by the tacit PSRM-Shor coalition of the former legislative body. It was projected that a recreational park would be built in that place.
