Conferring of Honorary Citizen of Chisinau title to former Tiraspol detainees subject of heated debates in CMC

Chisinau Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca’s intention to award the title of Honorary Citizen of Chisinau City to the former Tiraspol detainees Anrei Ivantoc, Alexandru Lesco and Tudor Petrov Popa generated heated discussions at the meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) of October 4. The councilor on behalf of the Social-Political Movement “Ravnopravie”, Valeri Climenco, leader of the Congress of Russian Community in Moldova, was the only one to oppose the given intention. Amid accusations of genocide against the three former detainees, he said that the intention runs counter to the regulations concerning the conferring of this title approved in 2006, because the three are not even residents of Chisinau and did not take part in the activity of Chisinau municipality. Climenco’s statements aroused the indignation of most of the councilors. Alexandru Tanase, leader of the Liberal-Democratic faction in the CMC, said that Climenco’s accusations are totally irrelevant. He said that the merit of these persons is unquestionable, but the draft decision was not studied according to all the juridical procedures so that no one could appeal against it. The councillors also said that the decision cannot be approved because there were not enough councilmen, but the decisions with financial implications are taken by the vote of the majority councillors and not of the ones present at the meeting. The regulations concerning the conferring of the title of Honorary Citizen of Chisinau stipulate that the municipality covers 50% of the value of the bills for public utilities of the holder of such a title, who can also use the public transport free of charge. CMC agreed to discuss the given issue again at the meeting of October 9, which will be a continuation of Thursday’s meeting. They will also vote to confer this title to Ilie Ilascu.