The Great National Assembly Square on March 2 was too small for the hundreds of combatants who came from different settlements of the country to mark the Memory Day and bring flowers to Ruler Stephan the Great. Among the officials attending were Acting President Mihai Ghimpu, Prime Minister Vlad Filat, MPs, ministers, representatives of the diplomatic corps working in Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. The veterans and the relatives of those who died in battles in 1992 said they take part in the commemoration activities every year. “More people came this year. We are glad that military men of the National Army and police officers are near us. Earlier, the police laid flowers to the monument to Stephan the Great at 8 A.M., together with Voronin, while the military men came later, with the Democrats,” said Vasile Movila, commander of battalion No. 6 in Cantemir. Petru Esanu, who fought in Cosnita, said it is regretful that the truth about the conflict is now yet known even if 18 years passed since the start of the war. “In a civilized country, they would have written hundreds of books and made films featuring witnesses of the war.” The veteran said the war of 1992 was not between the residents of the two bank of the Nistru but between Moldova and Russia. “Kazakhs, thieves and bandits who came from Russia raped our women and killed our sons. They mistreated us and continue doing so,” Petru Esanu said with tears in his eyes. Victor Cotlau from Telenesti, a participant in the war, said they make a political show around the Transnistrian conflict, but no progress is made in solving it. “We come to the monument to Stephan the Great every year on March 2 to commemorate our comrades who died in the war,” said another veteran Zaharia Sclifos, who took refuge from Dubasari in Chisinau in 1992. “We asked and continue to ask the Filat Government to verify the permits issued to the combatants. About 20,000 people took part in the battles, but 64,000 persons hold such permits at present. It means many of the permits are forged and those persons receive benefits from the state illegally.” Prime Minister Vlad Filat said the problems faced by the Moldovan veterans represent problems for the whole society. “The Government will provide financial assistance within limits. We do not want to make promises that we cannot fulfill,” he said. Filat added that this year is special as March 2 was officially declared the Memory Day, when all the heroes are commemorated. On March 2, it is 18 years of the start of the armed conflict on the Nistru. 29,000 people participated in the war that took 286 lives and left 289 persons disabled.