Candidates for Chisinau Mayor propose 70 initiatives on city development. Analysis by Info-Prim Neo, Part II

The candidates running for mayor in the municipality of Chisinau propose a total of about 70 initiatives on the development or improvement of the situation in the city in their electoral programmes. This is the conclusion of expert Veaceslav Ionita, following an examination of the election platforms of the candidates at the request of Info-Prim Neo. [Light platform] The platform of the candidate on behalf of the Party of Communists Veaceslav Iordan includes 15 topics, of which 8 are ordinary, which means they are similar with those presented by other candidates, and only two points related to the protection of the environment and fight against poverty are original. Also, according to the analyst, 4 initiatives are mere political declarations and can not be implemented; namely the fight against poverty, adding MDL 100 to the pensions, introduction a local tax on the value of constructions, and creation of new workplaces. As good it may seem at a first sight, Iordan’s platform is really simple. [Declarative platform] Ion Mereuta has 19 projects, of which 10 are present at the great majority of the candidates, and not a single original one. His proposals on creating 45 workplaces, increasing the minimum pensions to MDL 1700, setting the minimum salary at MDL 2 thousand in the municipality are only declarations. The only difference from other candidates is the fact that his platform has the most declarative projects and unrealisable promises. [A platform close to LPA’s activity] Leonid Bujor comes with 22 initiatives, of which 9 are similar with the great majority of the candidates, but he has an original idea, as well. He proposes to use at least 50% of the means collected in the budget for the necessities of the municipality (at present are used about 20%). According to the expert, another interesting initiative is the one related to 150 thousand social tickets. On the other hand, Bujor speaks about things which are beyond the competences of the local public administration, even if they are directly related to its activity – and namely the initiatives regarding the health system and the use of 50% of budget’s revenue. [Platform with the most initiatives] Vladimir Filat proposes the most initiatives – 30, of which 13 can be found at other candidates. Among the original ideas, the analyst mentioned the project related to the road safety. On the other hand, the initiatives regarding the health system are among the unachievable ones. Very many initiatives do not need financial resources, but political will, such as the consultation of citizens, transparency in the activity of the City Hall etc. To a great extent, the platform of Filat is not based on financial resources, but aims at creating and developing institutions, which would allow settling problems. [Platform for suburbs] Dorin Chirtoaca has 22 initiatives, of which 10 are typical to the majority of the candidates, but has one original initiative – fighting vagabondage and institutionalisation of homeless persons. Although his proposals that address investments, education and workplaces are not within the competence of the local public administration, his platform is to a great extent close to the real situation, although it is not very original. The fact that Chirtoaca pays attention to the development of suburbs should be appreciated. [Balanced platform] Zinovia Zorin has 25 initiatives, of which 11 are similar to the majority of candidates, and several original, including the compensation of utility bills for the consumers with incomes smaller than MDL 1200. Another original initiative refers to the wastewater treatment plant. There are very many actions which are nothing else than intentions – fight against bureaucracy, corruption, conservation of the historical zone of the city, as well as issues which are not within the competence of the local public administration – repairing the schools, health protection, investments, workplaces etc. The platform is equally composed of realisable and unrealisable projects, as well as of initiatives which exclusively depend on the will of the candidate. [Unoriginal platform] Alexandru Corduneanu comes with 26 initiatives, 12 of which are being used by other candidates, and has no original initiatives. One of his initiatives, on the construction of apartments, support of young families, is unattainable because of high costs. Others, which do not need significant financial resources, depend only on the good intentions. Also, Corduneanu focuses on the suburban settlements. His platform is full of populist ideas, unrealisable projects and good intentions. [Platform against rich people] Valentin Krylov has 10 initiatives, of which 5 we have already met in the platforms of the majority of candidates. Many of them can be qualified only as intentions or being purely declarative. He is different from others only due to the idea to impose a real estate tax on rich persons and paying higher attention to the Russian language. [The platforms of the rest of candidates will be examined by expert Veaceslav Ionita in the next part.]