The 2013 draft municipal budget proposed for adoption in the first reading in the November 29 meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) hasn’t been passed. Only the Liberal-Democratic councilors voted in favor of it. The Liberal councilors weren’t present in the hall when the vote was taken, the Communists abstained, while the Socialists voted against. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, CMC secretary Valeriu Didencu said that the draft budget did not get the necessary number of votes for being approved and will be thus reexamined in a new meeting of the Council. After the presentation of the draft budget, the councilors asked for a pause after which the Liberals, Democratic councilman Valentin Guznac and unaffiliated councilors Teo Carnat and Petru Dontov did not return to the hall. When put to the vote, the draft budget won the approval of only four Liberal-Democratic councilors. The Communist faction abstained from voting, while the two Socialist councilors voted against. Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca has told Info-Prim Neo that the Liberal councilors refused to return to the meeting because the Communist faction intended to boycott the voting. In the meeting of faction leaders last weekend, the Communist councilors said they will vote for the budget in the first reading, but on Thursday morning they had different intentions. The draft budget is to be considered in the next meeting. Communist councilor Victor Gurau stated for Info-Prim Neo that it was an expected scenario as the mayor tries to force his own agenda on the other councilors. “Given that they are fewer in number, Chirtoaca’s pocket faction simply did not enter the hall, while the others, who represent the Alliance for European Integration, followed them. This is undermining of the Municipal Council’s work,” he said, adding that the draft budget must be discussed thoroughly so as to avoid similar situations related to the 2012 budget, which must be adjusted. The 2013 draft budget provides for revenues of 2.643 billion lei, up 8.6% on 2012, and an expenditure of 2.664 billion lei, down 7.6% compared with this year. Thus, the spending will be by 20.7 million lei higher than the incomes.