Civil society proposes memorandum for settling Transnistrian conflict

A number of nongovernmental organizations Wednesday presented a draft memorandum concerning the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and the fundamental principles for organizing the Republic of Moldova. The representatives of civil society suggest solutions for representing the Transnistrian region in the central public administration and for ensuring Moldova’s integrity and security, Info-Prim Neo reports. IDIS “Viitorul” executive director Liubomir Chiriac said the Transnistrian dispute must be resolved by peaceful political means, by negotiations. Under the draft memorandum, the Transnistrian region will be an autonomous territorial unit that will have broad powers in different areas and regional legislation that will be in accordance with the supreme law of Moldova. IDIS “Viitorul” expert Corneliu Ciurea said that the administrative borders of Transnistria will be defined by organic law and will be modified only by Moldova’s Parliament, after consulting the central authorities and the authorities of the region. The memorandum also says that the elections to constitute the region’s executive bodies will be organized in 2016 by an international election commission under OSCE mandate. The Transnistrian region will have its own symbols that will be used in parallel with the symbols of Moldova. Transnistria will have three official languages: Moldovan based on the Latin scrip, Russian, and Ukrainian. Oazu Nantoi, conflict management program director at the Public Policy Institute, said that after this document is implemented, the munitions stored in the Transnistrian region and the obsolete munitions of the armed forces will be liquidated by the end of 2014. Executive director of “Promo-LEX” Association Ion Manole said that the memorandum provides for the creation of a common army within the integrated state Moldova. The Republic of Moldova and the Transnistrian authorities will assume the obligation to actively contribute to the dissolution of the military units of Transnistria and the cessation of the military armament and equipment. The document was sent to all the competent bodies.