Communist and Christian democrat councillors accused of spurring poverty

Councillor representing the Social-Political Movement “Ravnopravie”, Valeri Climenco, accuses communists and Christian-democrat councillors of the fact that, by increasing tariffs for heat and drinking water, they have thrown thousand of budgetary employees, pensioners, and vulnerable members of the society into poverty. Climenco made this statement on Thursday, February 15, within the extraordinary session of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC), Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Climenco, by voting for the increase of tariffs, the coalition of communists and Christian democrats, led by Vladimir Voronin and Iurie Rosca produced a new wave of poverty. They lied the population and said that the tariff difference would be covered from the municipal budget. “It is a very cynic affirmation, because both the municipal and the state budget has been approved in 2007 with a large deficit, which proves the fact that no money would be found for fulfilling these promises”, the councillor says. Climenco affirms that when “Termocom” JSC doesn’t receive the promised MDL 220 mln, it will collect money from the population. If people don’t pay their invoices, the heat supplier will recoup its money by confiscating their apartments and goods. “The power jogs along comfortably on our backs, drives in expensive cars and mocks at us. Its time to put an end to this injustice”, Climenco says. He addressed the population with the appeal not to pay the invoices and thus, make the power return to old tariffs or increase pensions and salaries. In the context, the councillor representing the “Moldova Noastra” Alliance faction, Oleg Cernei, accused the CMC secretary, Nicolae Manastarli, of complying with the CMC decision on increasing the tariffs, even though it hasn’t been countersigned by him, as he is the session’s chairman. Moreover, the decision has a retroactive effect, which contravenes the Law on normative acts, according to which the decision comes into force at the moment when it has been adopted. The cited source affirms that the decision has been put into application, having only the signatures of three communist councillors –Pavlov, Nazarco and Dermingi, which also violates the provisions of the law. As a retort the communist councillor Valeri Pavlov stated that he does not recall any case when two councillors would oppose a CMC decision which is already adopted and is absolutely necessary.