In the series “2018: how it was and how it wasn’t!?”, IPN News Agency presents the views of officials and civil society on the Transnistrian settlement. The content includes: More initiatives for benefit of inhabitants from both banks of the Nistru; Transnistrian conflict settlement has lasted for too long; Shortcomings are larger in number.
Over 10 million lei will be allocated for organizing and holding the national consultative referendum on February 24, 2019. The expenditure estimate was approved by the Central Election Commission.
In reality, President Igor Dodon does not want the Socialists to obtain a majority of seats of MP in the elections as he would have to form the government and to cope with the burden of governance, considers the president of the Institute for Strategic Initiatives Andrei Popov. According to him, the Democratic Party also wants the PSRM to obtain at least 30-35 seats of MP in the next Parliament so as not to offer more space for other leaders and parties that are less tamed and more decided. “That’s why the Shor Party stepped up its efforts. I think there is also an explanation why the Party of Communists intends to run not only under the list, but also in single-member constituencies, “ he stated.
Presenting the Government’s report for 2016-2018 Prime Minister Pavel Filip said: “We build things the past few years so that this process of improving people’s lives we initiated becomes irreversible.”
According to him, 2016 was the year when we overcame the crisis and stabilized the country economically. “In 2017 we did reforms and brought things in order and ensured equity in particular areas. These efforts enabled us in 2018 to start to build, to increase the pensions and salaries and to build good roads, to purchase ambulances and to help the young people buy homes. In 2019 the good things should be continued.”
The Socialist parliamentary group didn’t attend the last siting of Parliament set for December 14. The president of the Party of Socialists Zinaida Grecheanyi said the Socialist group repeatedly asked to invite Cabinet members to Parliament for questioning, but their requests were rejected. “What we have today is nothing but a false demonstration staged by the government,” she stated.
The MPs of the groups of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and the Party of Communists left the assembly hall of Parliament when Prime Minister Pavel Filip came to present the Government’s report.
Lib-Dem Tudor Deliu said the Government came with a report after the mandate of the current Parliament expired and the report was distributed to MPs in breach of Article 127 of the regulations, which provides that the report should be submitted at least ten days before its examination so that the MPs could familiarize themselves with this report. “We also ascertained that this is the report of the Parliament, rather of the Government as the laws and documents that were adopted, not yet implemented, as the Government should have done, are enumerated here. That’s why the Liberal-Democratic group leaves the sitting in protest,” stated the politician.
The Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) reported voter corruption actions by officials and members of the Democratic Party (PDM). It referred to an announcement placed by the PDM’s branch in Botanica on its official Facebook. This suggests the organization will offer “electoral alms”. The announcement was accompanied by pictures of food products.
The PAS said the PDM is hypocritical when it accuses the PAS of violating the electoral legislation by disseminating information leaflets, but simultaneously distributes electoral alms, committing thus an offense.
The laws adopted by Parliament as a result of the work done by a working group as part of the EU-CoE Joint Project “Promoting media freedom and pluralism in the Republic of Moldova” do not produce the expected effect, Ion Bunduchi, executive director of the Electronic Press Association, stated in the project completion event. According to EU Ambassador Peter Michalko, the mass media are one of the poles of the democratic construction. The diplomat said he would like to see progress in the adoption of the other laws, concerning advertising, financial stimuli and access to information that, together with the already adopted laws, would create a legal framework of a higher quality for the mass media.
Harsher penalties for driving under the influence came into force on December 14. The persons caught driving under the influence will be striped of license until the court of law takes a decision. Within three days, the court will decide whether to return the license or not and, if not, for how long the person will be unable to drive. No temporary driver’s license will be issued.
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