A state of emergency was declared in Moldova for a period of 60 days. A draft decision to this effect was adopted by the votes of 58 PAS MPs at the Government’s request. The MPs of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists didn’t support the initiative, saying this state of emergency is like a state of uncertainty. The MPs of Șor Party acted similarly, urging their mates to support the censure motion they prepared, IPN reports.

Introducing the decision, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said a state of emergency is needed given the risks to the energy security of the country and to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. During the state of emergency, the Commission for Exceptional Situations will be able to adopt such measures as optimization of the consumption of gas and other energy resources and to take decisions to ensure natural gas is supplied to the country, including by derogation from the norms. The commission will be able to create fast instruments for collecting payments for the consumed gas from end users and to institute a special regime for purchasing gas faster, if necessary. The commission’s ordinances are binding.

In his speech, Socialist MP Petru Burduja said that when the state budget was being discussed last autumn, the government was optimistic, saying the energy crisis was overcome and an advantageous contract was negotiated. The current situation affects the citizens and now also the education institutions and companies that are ordered to make savings. In the production sector, these savings mean leaving the people without work and without salary.

Communist MP Oleg Reidman said the government has all the necessary instruments to manage the situation and a state of emergency is not necessary.

PAS MP Oazu Nantoi noted the terms of the contract for the supply of gas remained the same, but the attitude of Gazprom to the procedure changed and this is most probably due to the fact that the Moldovans, by their freely expressed vote, removed from power the corrupt persons who received money also from Gazprom. “Gazprom tries to cause a social crisis in the Republic of Moldova and to destabilize the political situation,” stated the MP.

Now that a state of emergency was declared, the Commission for Exceptional Situations will come together to take decisions that will enable to supply the country with gas uninterruptedly.

Today is the last day when Moldovagaz should transfer US$63 million to Gazprom as the advance for January. Moldovagaz managed to collect only US$38 million by now. The Russian gas giant rejected the request to defer the payment, saying gas supplies will be halted if the overdue amount is not paid by the set time limit. To help Moldovagaz pay the advance, the Government will transfer beforehand the subsidies for gas offered to household users for two months.