Communist leader tells 'organizers of April coup' to step down

“I'm calling on the main organizers of the 7 April 2009 coup: stop escalating this nation's anguish and stop trying to put out the fire of social rage with gasoline. Relinquish power without being asked twice!”, declared Communist leader Vladimir Voronin at a press briefing after being summoned in court as a witness in a case examining alleged police abuses during the 7 April 2009 events. “I told the court everything. I recounted how I, in my capacity as President, acted to protect the lives of the youths and to prevent civil confrontations from spreading”, said Voronin. Accusing the leaders of the current government of attempting a coup in April 2009 and blaming them for the violence, Voronin said all their actions during their reign demonstrated they were against Moldova's democratic path and statehood. “What they wanted to do in one day, they are now doing through their policies. All the symbols of sovereignty have been debased – the Constitution, democratic elections, the judicial system and political independence”. He went on to declare it was obvious who was behind the April events. “They desperately try to cling to power hoping to avoid a professional investigation and a justly deserved penalty for what they tried to do on that day”, said Voronin. On 7 April 2009, thousands of young people took to the streets to protest the allegedly rigged outcome of the parliamentary elections that were held two days earlier. The initially peaceful protests degenerated into violence that left at least one protester dead and many others in police custody. Then the Communist Party was unsuccessful in securing one single missing vote to elect the president and had to call early parliamentary elections on July 29. Following those elections, four parties formed the Eurointegration Alliance and replaced the Communists in government.