Independent candidate Oleg Cernei has officially launched his election campaign in an apartment building situated in Botanica district of Chisinau, where a fire this May destroyed almost 30 apartments on an attic-like storey. He said he chose this place in order to highlight the poor conditions in which the people live and their needs, IPN reports.
“I chose this place for launching my campaign because my emblem in this campaign is the house with a family inside and my slogan is: “Close to the people and their needs”. These apartments need to be reconstructed, but things do not move on. The promises made by the local functionaries and those from the construction company are not fulfilled. I will be come to this block until the people get a roof above their heads,” stated Oleg Cernei.
The candidate’s platform focuses on the decentralization of the local authorities and direct election of the mayors and councilors, amendment of the Constitution so that it allows for the direct election of the head of state, decrease in the election threshold from 2% to 1% for independents, institution of the uninominal system of voting based on constituencies, conferring of the status of public servant on doctors and teachers, inclusion of Truseni, Durlesti, Condrita, Vatra and Ghidighici in Chisinau’s Buiucani district and other social and administrative policies.
Oleg Cernei said that though he is running in the elections separately from the Liberal Party, he has a friendly relationship with this party’s deputy head, the Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca. “I want the mayor to respect me in the same way that I respect him. The elections come and go, but we must remain humans,” he stated. As to his membership in the Liberal Party, Oleg Cernei said he is waiting for the party to state its official position.
Under the Election Code of Moldova, an independent candidate needs to gain 2% of the poll to enter Parliament.
