Dionis Cenușa, in an article for IPN entitled “Difficult coexistence between civil society and oligarchic regimes in Moldova and Georgia”, says the European institutions differently interpret the political realities in Georgia and Moldova, at least from the perspective of the problems invoked by civil society. So, the evidence and criticism of the influence of oligarchic groups on justice and the capture of Moldovan state institutions find a detailed reflection in the European legislature’s approaches. The approach in the case of Georgia is completely different.
The politologist presumes this can be due to the poor realization of the democratic backsliding witnessed now in Georgia owing to the effects of previous reforms that are still felt in Georgia and appreciated in Brussels (“good pupil of the class”).
Contrary to the visible sympathy with the Caucasian state, the attention for Moldova is maximized, but in a fully negative context (“bad pupil of the classic”) owing to the series of nondemocratic steps by which Vladimir Plahotniuc wants to perpetuate his political power, commented Dionis Cenușa.
In a very similar way, the oligarchic regimes in the two countries of the Eastern Partnership show intolerance against the representatives of civil society. If the NGOs do not sympathize with the regime, they risk being treated as representatives of the political opposition.
After the president of the Liberal Party Mihai Ghimpu, in the program “Black box” broadcast by TV8 channel, said the extraparliamentary pro-European opposition parties accepted the Liberals’ invitation to sit at the negotiating table, representatives of the political parties PL, PLDM, PAS and PPPDA gathered together at the PLDM’s head office on November 5 to discuss the political context in the Republic of Moldova before the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019.
After the meeting, it was announced that the PL, PLDM, PAS and PPPDA could have common candidates in single-member constituencies in the parliamentary elections. In a new meeting in a week, the PL will present a list of candidates who will be ready to take the integrity test proposed by the future electoral bloc ACUM.
The PAS and PPDA on November 3 announced that they form the electoral bloc ACUM. The parties presented five commitments that they pledged to fulfil if they win the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The IPN Experts also watched the program “Black box” with Mihai Ghimpu, noting that the party’s strategy for the upcoming parliamentary elections envisions the abandonment of mutual attacks and eventual cooperation in single-member constituencies between those who met on Monday. It is naive to believe something like this, but such an offer deserves attention anyway, consider the experts.
The point is that Mihai Ghimpu earlier expressed his public dissatisfaction with the so-called integrity filters of the extraparliamentary opposition for the formation of a common list of candidates of the opposition. The idea of filters itself seemed to doubt the integrity of Mihai Ghimpu and this was revolting for him. To not go through filers, the leader of the PL accepted the non-creation of the electoral bloc and suggested minimal cooperation – coordination of efforts in single-member constituencies.
Moreover, for everyone to see that the idea of integrity filters is an absurdity, Mihai Ghimpu informed public opinion about the fact that he was given 400 million lei bribe for accepting “a rise”, without providing details about the post he occupied when he was offered bribe and what he was to “raise”.
We remember that Mihai Ghimpu held the posts of president of the Chisinau Municipal Council and of Speaker of Parliament during relatively short periods of time. Both of the posts are important. However, the decisions of the Council and Parliament are adopted by a majority of the votes of councilors and MPs, respectively. The post of acting President of the Republic of Moldova held by Mihai Ghimpu does not imply the raising of something for which he would be offered 400 million lei bribe. That’s why we can presume that the Liberal leader joked or wanted to create a myth about incorruptibility.
Other “black boxes” are related to the parliamentary elections of 2019. In a news conference held to sum up the results of his visit to Russia, President Igor Dodon said the reintroduction of customs duties on the export of particular Moldovan products to Russia after the agreed period of six months will depend on the outcome of the 2019 parliamentary elections.
As the customs duties will be abolished by a political, benevolence gesture of President Vladimir Putin as of January 1, 2019, the same taxes could have been introduced by a similar gesture many years ago. President Dodon said in 2014 he warned the Government that other commercial partners could impose restrictions... So, the results of the parliamentary elections should show once again that changing the grouping of addends does not change the sum.
Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai repeatedly sent an appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office, asking to examine the threatening and intimidating statements against journalists made the mayor of Orhei Ilan Shor in July.
Recently, the Ombudsman’s Office was informed about the refusal to take legal action in this case for the reason that Ilan Shor’s deeds cannot be classed as a criminal offense.
After the Party Action and Solidarity a week ago warned about the risk that political parties will have their activity paralyzed before the election campaign prior to the parliamentary elections, the president of the Central Election Commission Alina Russu stated for IPN that she sees no risk that the political parties will face financial blockages in December. According to her, the Election Code enables the political parties to use financial resources from donations made before the start of the electoral period.
All the kindergartens in Moldova will work according to a new program of ten hours a day, not of 12 hours that is the current program of most of the early education institutions in Chisinau municipality. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Research makes reference to a poll carried out by the Chisinau General Education, Youth and Sport Division in February – May 2018 by keeping records of the children’s kindergarten arrival and leaving time.
For children who cannot be brought or taken during the ten-hour program of kindergartens, the Ministry recommends the local public authorities of the first level, as the founders and managers of public early education institutions, to form groups on duty with additional educator salary paid from the available salary fund. In Chisinau, for example, this fund exists because there are many vacancies, but it is used for other purposes.
Detail on IPN!
