City Council fails to elect deputy mayors again

Mayor General of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca refused Thursday, September 6, to put forward candidates for deputy mayors of the city, although the issue was introduced in the order of the day of the City Council’s meeting. Chirtoaca explained his decision by saying that there is an agreement between four parties, and that the four candidacies that were supposed to be fielded had been agreed upon by the respective parties. However, at today’s meeting it was stated that this agreement doesn’t work anymore. The mayor said that this fact must be clarified, and if it proves right, he will not be able to put forward the candidates agreed upon and will have to consider another options. Councillors from various factions condemned Chirtoaca’s decision, saying that he is obliged by the law to field candidates for deputy mayors, and by not doing that, he actually blocks the activity of the local public administration. The mayor dismissed the accusations by saying that thus far all the tasks that could have been assigned to the deputy mayors had been fully accomplished. The issue concerning the election of the four deputy mayors was included in the meeting agenda on August 2 as well. That time the deputy mayors were not elected because the majority coalition didn’t gather the required number of votes to back the candidates agreed upon. Several other attempts were also unsuccessful, because some councillors failed to attend the Council’s meeting and give their vote.