The draft decision to initiate a local referendum on the dismissal of the Mayor General of Chisinau municipality Dorin Chirtoaca didn’t garner the necessary number of votes in the September 13 meeting of the Municipal Council. Only 32 councilors voted in favor at a time when the required minimum is 34, IPN reports.

Socialist councilor Vadim Filipov, who drafted the decision, said in the informative note they explained that the mayor of Chisinau does not respect the interests of the local community and does not appropriately fulfill his duties. Dorin Chirtoaca is also accused of violating the moral and ethical norms as a mayor.

After the Council’s meeting, the leader of the Liberal group on the Council Ion Cebanu stated for the press that today’s meeting was just a show that had been staged for a year. The Socialist councilors, those of the European People’s Party and the others, instead of dealing with the real problems of the people and of examining the over 1,000 draft decisions, introduced the holding of the referendum in the agenda even if this plebiscite was invalidated in court.

Earlier, civil activists dissatisfied with the work done by Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, initiated a referendum on the mayor’s dismissal. The court ordered registering the initiative group, but this decision was challenged. Recently, the Balti Appeals Court quashed the decision of the first court.