The list of state-owned enterprises that cannot be privatized was reduced from 175 to 102. A bill to this effect was passed by Parliament in the first reading as a result of heated debates and event altercations between the MPs, IPN reports.

The Communist MPs interrupted the sitting, using loudspeakers and blocking the Parliament’s rostrum. Communist PM Eduard Musuc said the Government wants to sell the whole country in secret. “Almost half of the public property will be privatized in secret, without the people knowing about this,” he stated. His faction colleague Iurie Muntean said the author of the bill is the Democratic MP Vlad Plahotniuc, who wants to ‘privatize’ the country.

The head of the Liberal-Democratic Parliamentary group Valeriu Strelet said the process of denationalizing the public property is a natural one in all the countries as the private initiative brings progress and success. He expressed his suppose at the reaction of the Communists as they launched the privatization of important state-run companies in 2007.

Deputy Speaker Adrian Candu said the fact that the bill was adopted today does not mean that the companies that can be privatized will be put up for auction immediately. The bill is intended to ease the Government’s work in administering public property.

Among the companies that cannot be privatized are the thermoelectric and power companies RED Nord, Red Nord Vest, CET 1, CET 2, and SA Termocom as well as SA Apa-Canal Chisinau”, “Moldova Film”, and Moldova’s Water.

The bill that was proposed by the Government is to be adopted in the second reading.