Democratic Party president Pavel Filip says that he has asked the Democrat MP Constantin Botnari to step down because he does not attend Parliament sittings. The former prime minister says he has not seen Constantin Botnari for a long time, but that they have discussed this issue over the phone. Botnari told him he will give it a thought.
“I have spoken with Botnari on the phone and asked him to step down because I fail to see the point of an MP who does not attend Parliament sittings. We are a party, and when in Parliament you have got to work, there are projects you must analyze, give your opinion, come to vote. It seems wrong to be an MP and not show up in Parliament”, stated Pavel Filip at the talk-show “Puterea a patra” on N4.
The former prime minister says Botnari’s answer was that he will consider it. “I cannot force him because an MP’s mandate is not imperative”, said the PDM leader in reference to a constitutional provision which says MPs are not bound by orders or instructions.
On a different subject, Pavel Filip said that currently the Democrats cannot assume the responsibility of entering into a coalition with the Socialists because this would entail obligations. “Therefore, we have reserved our right and voted in this Government, which we consider more like technical and our support will be on a case by case basis. 700 lei for pensioners is a good thing, as it follows up on a project we ourselves launched. We will come up with initiatives as well, but that means we will have to debate each proposal separately and those that match our views will be supported, and those that do not, of course we will not vote for them,” Filip said.
Regarding the presidential election to be held next fall, the Filip says PDM will prepare for it and will designate a candidate.
Constantin Botnari is known for being close to the former Democratic Party leader Vladimir Plahotniuc, who secretly left the country after the PDM government ceded power. Botnari has earned the nickname “borsetka”, meaning man-purse in Russian, for his alleged role of being Plahotniuc’s money mule in cases of corruption. One of the latest public mentions about Botnari said that “he is expected to return from London to Moldova.” The current PDM leaders insist the party is undergoing “an internal reform.”
