Three candidates of the Electoral Bloc “European People’s Platform of Moldova – Iurie Leanca” (PPEM) from Bacioi commune were illegally discharged from the posts held in the local administration. Such an accusation was made by the bloc’s candidate for the mayoralty of Chisinau Oazu Nantoi, who said that the Liberal Party (PL) exerts pressure on the election runners through the mayor of Bacioi. In reaction, the PL issued a press statement, saying the three persons were fired in accordance with the procedures and the law wasn’t broken, IPN reports.

Oazu Nantoi said that under the legislation, the election runners cannot be fired during the election campaign without their consent, but their candidate for the post of mayor Vasile Toderascu and two candidates for the post of local councilor in Bacioi Ion Barbalat and Nicolae Paiu were dismissed from posts. “Pressure is being exerted on our candidates,” stated Oazu Nantoi.

He wondered if the PL is afraid of the contestants and decided thus to come to terms with those who govern. “I make a call to the representatives of the PL to annul the illegal decisions so as to leave a door open for cooperation,” said Oazu Nantoi.

The Liberal Party described Oazu Nantoi’s statements as groundless and unrealistic. “Ion Barbalat and Nicolae Paiu were dismissed based on the resignations tendered by these, while Vasile Toderascu was fired by the Bacioi Local Council before he became the PPEM’s candidate, such an act being logical given that the post was offered to him by the PL. As he decided to leave the PL and to join the PPEM, he should have vacated the post voluntarily,” says the PL’s statement.

The Liberals also said that pressure is actually exerted on the PL’s candidates. “A worrisome and alarming example is the searches carried out today by officers of the National Anticorruption Center at the Bacioi Mayor’s Office and in the house of the suspended mayor of Bacioi Vitalie Salari, who is the PL’s candidate for the mayoralty of Bacioi,” reads the statement.

The Liberals stated they have reasons to suspect that the searches are performed by order, following the dismissal of Vasile Toderascu from the post of deputy mayor of Bacioi, and that the Democratic Party of Moldova became involved in this case at the request of the PPEM. They anticipate that the pressure will not stop here and attempts will be made to exclude the PL’s candidate for the post of mayor of Bacioi from the electoral race.