The executive director of Farmers’ Force Association Alexandru Badarau denies any association or political involvement in connection with farmers’ participation in a meeting in ATU Gagauzia on the issue of damage sustained in the agricultural sector. It happens after the press reported that the politician Ilan Shor seeks to bring farmers to his side and organized an event on this occasion for farmers from Gagauzia. Contacted by IPN for details, Alexandru Badarau said that the event was held to discuss farmers’ problems at country and local levels and the farmers in Gagauzia are “in a catastrophic situation like all the farmers in the southern region”.
Alexandru Bădărău said that the initiators of the meeting were the farmers, especially those from Vulcănești and Taraclia, who invited their colleagues from Cahul to the discussions. The Farmers’ Force was also invited to join the discussions. Subsequently, the organization of the meeting was taken over by the Agricultural Division of ATU Gagauzia. “We have not established any communication with them. We did not know the real situation in the area. The farmers there were affected as much as those in Cahul and Cantemir and, as the problems they face are not communicated, they are not heard, the measures probably do not apply to them as much,” said the executive director of Farmers’ Force.
Alexandru Bădărău noted that the association seeks to establish relations with farmers from all regions, including those from the southern area, from the territorial-administrative unit of Gagauzia, in order to gather as many members as possible within the association and to become a force to which the Government will devote attention. Farmers’ Force is non-political and is only concerned with agriculture. “The accusations that we are playing someone’s game and other speculations are made to tarnish our image, possibly also my personal image, and that of the association,” stated Alexandru Bădărău.
“We want farmers from all over the country to understand that the Farmers’ Force Association can be a body that puts public pressure on the Government, regardless of the political color of the administration, regardless of the actions it takes,” said the executive director of the association. Alexandru Bădărău added that the farmers are disappointed by the ignorance and superficial attitude of the state institutions that do not want to discuss the necessary measures to save the most important sector of country’s economy.
Former MP and former executive director of Farmers’ Force Association Alexandr Slusari also commented on the accusations formulated in the public space. According to Slusari, in the current political-electoral situation, farmers need to be more careful when they attend particular meetings, but it is unfair to label them. “It is very sad that the current pro-European government has lost these farmers as supporters, but this speaks of the quality of governance,” Alexandr Slusari said in a public message.
According to an article published by the portal deschide.md, the convicted fugitive Ilan Shor seeks to bring farmers to his side, promising them that he will open the Russian market for them and on this occasion an event was organized in Gagauzia, which was entitled “The situation in the agricultural sector caused by drought” and was attended by about 60 people.
