Ion Terguță, former general secretary of the DA Platform, claims that the meeting of Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița and PAS lawmakers with Moldovans settled in the United States, at the headquarters of the diplomatic mission, was against the law. Terguța cited a circular issued last year by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that prohibits any meetings of politicians with supporters at embassies. However, PAS lawmaker Igor Chiriac says that the meeting took place in strict accordance with the law.
Three days ago, PM Gavrilița met with diaspora members at the Moldovan embassy in Washington. Terguță says that politicians are prohibited from using diplomatic premises for political purposes.
“On April 8, 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent out a directive to all diplomatic missions informing them that the premises of diplomatic missions and consular offices may not be used for political purposes. The premises of diplomatic missions cannot be made available, let or otherwise offered to politicians for meetings with voters. This circular was not revoked, and Mrs. Gavrilița was there in her capacity as PAS vice president”, said Terguță during a talk show on TV8.
“The lawmakers met with their voters, but the prime minister represents the state as well. The government is of course allowed to meet with the diaspora, but this must take place within the limits of the law. If this proves to be illegal, we must react because we are a country that claims to respect the rule of law. Still, the circular was issued ahead of elections and it was obviously about electoral meetings”, said the political pundit Igor Boțan.
PAS representatives insist the meeting was perfectly legal.
“It is not in contradiction with any normative act. From a legal point of view, I don’t see a violation of legislation. Parliament representatives, regardless of which party they belong to, when they go abroad, they must and can meet our fellow citizens, with the diaspora”, said PAS lawmaker Igor Chiriac, a lawyer by profession.
Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița was on an official visit to the United States on July 19-21, during which she had meetings with high-ranking American officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, and representatives of the International Monetary Fund.