On the last day of his term in office, Igor Dodon said he transmits a credible and solid presidential institution to next President after this, until 2016, had been a superficial one. “For the first time since 2009, the presidential institution became powerful, functional, with a separate agenda. For the first time, the presidential institution is on top of people’s preferences,” Igor Dodon said, addressing the citizens.
Igor Dodon noted that the President should be a mediator and should assume the dialogue between the political parties. This should be a statesman, not an ordinary politician. “If they abide by the interests of the party of which they formed part earlier, they will not go far. The President should be close to the ordinary people, as I was in 600 localities, and should not stay in the institution I repaired or on Facebook,” stated Igor Dodon, being quoted by IPN.
He also said that the President should be balanced in the relations with the foreign partners and should not become involved in geopolitical wars. “The interests of the Republic of Moldova should be at the forefront, while our interests are that we should be in good relations with everyone,” stated Igor Dodon, noting that the President should be of the majority of citizens.
He said he had a very difficult tenure. He divided his four-year term into three stages: 2016-2019 – “period of oligarchic government”; “June-November 2019 – stage of coalition between the PSRM and the ACUM Bloc” and “the period during which the PSRM assumed responsibility for the situation in the country”. “The third stage was one of the most difficult stages in the history of the Republic of Moldova, possibly except for the Transnistrian conflict, during which we had efficient cooperation between the President, Speaker and Premier,” stated Igor Dodon, adding his biggest accomplishment in the period was that he was near the citizens and helped directly over 300,000 citizens, families with many children, pensioners, veterans, sick children, singers, while his decisions, which he does not regret, were all assumed, legal and in Moldovans’ interests.
Given that the Chicu Government resigned, Igor Dodon formulated two suggestions for President-elect Maia Sandu: to name a transition government or to announce snap parliamentary elections. “As of tomorrow, the newly elected President who will take an oath must assume overall responsibility for the situation in the country and start discussions with the parliamentary groups so as to appoint another Cabinet, nominating a candidate, or to discuss the roadmap for inducing snap elections,” said Igor Dodon, reiterating that the PSRM is ready for a dialogue and considers snap legislative elections should be called by ensuring stability in the country in the period.
Igor Dodon is the fifth President of the Republic of Moldova (elected in 2016), after Mircea Snegur (1990 –1996), Petru Lucinschi (1996 –2001), Vladimir Voronin (2001 –2009) and Nicolae Timofti (2012 –2016). Moldova also had two acting Presidents: Mihai Ghimpu (2009-2010) and Marian Lupu (2010-2012).
