They say that particular reforms were launched at the Chisinau City Hall, but it is not clear who assumes responsibility for them and who assumes the risks for their effects? In the case of the mayor general, who is elected for a four-year term, the situation is clearer, but in the current situation when there is an acting mayor things are uncertain. It is thus not clear if the current changes and actions at the level of the municipality can be called reforms as these should be anticipated and presented as a view and as responsibility, executive director of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) Igor Botan said in the public debate “Administrative and political interference in capital city” that was staged by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova.
Igor Botan, the standing expert of IPN’s project, said the local elections are political-administrative in character. In this case, the administrative and political interference is practically inevitable and this persists in Chisinau municipality. Given that the CMC and the City Hall are electable institutions, the citizens take part in elections and give a four-year mandate to these. Respectively, the Council is a representative body that approves decisions. The mayor, who is also a representative of the community, has executive powers. Parties take part in the local elections and the political component cannot be avoided, even if emphasis should be laid on the administrative component.
The expert noted that those who represent the municipality should be asked who assume responsibility for the launched reforms. The Chisinau Municipal Council has rights, but it is not clear if it is somehow involved in a reform. “Is there a majority that assumes responsibility for the reform? I, as a citizen, do not see and it is not clear who assumes the reform and based on what rights? For me, it is the predictability that counts,” stated Igor Botan.
According to him, a rupture is witnessed in the current situation in the municipality of Chisinau and sporadic decisions and actions appear as a result because the acting mayor general does not have an official status in the municipality. “On the one hand, on February 12 acting mayor Silvia Radu presented a report on the work done during 100 days in office, which somehow matches the efforts made to ensure transparency in the decision-making process, the fight against corruption, etc. When the message fits a general message in the country, such problems as corruption, lack of transparency, conflicts of interests, we can say that the decisions are not sporadic. On the other hand, the current situation in the municipality of Chisinau is absolutely abnormal. The legitimacy of the mandate of Silvia Radu, who was named by a person who wasn’t elected to that post, is doubted. It is also known that the Liberal Party pleads for bringing suspended mayor Dorin Chirtoaca back to post, but the law enforcers identified no violation in the process of naming Silviaq Radu as acting mayor. Besides this abnormal situation, something strange is witnessed in the attitude to the suspended mayor of Chisinau in contrast to another mayor – Ilan Shor. This means that Dorin Chirtoaca is treated in a not exactly correct manner. He is treated in a discriminatory way in comparison with the mayor of Orhei Ilan Shor. The two hold similar posts and they are both investigated, but one is suspended, while the other one is not and in this case Dorin Chirtoaca is wronged. He is subject to particular penal and political pressure,” stated Igor Botan.
He also said that there is a political struggle at municipal level given the upcoming parliamentary elections because 25% of the voters are in Chisinau.
The public debate “Administrative and political interference in capital city” was the 87th installment of the series of public debates “Developing political culture by public debates” that are organized with assistance from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
