Dissenting opinions about celebration of Soviet Army Day in Chisinau

The Soviet Army Day marked on February 23 is a controversial subject for the Moldovan MPs. Some of them consider the holiday forms part of Moldova's history and should be celebrated nationwide, while others say every person can decide by themselves whether to mark it or not, Info-Prim Neo reports. Liberal-Democrat MP Alexandru Tanase said he does not celebrate on February 23 as he has no links with the Soviet Army or the Soviet Union. “This holiday is usually marked by those who are of a certain age and did their military service in the Soviet Army. It is a habit of which one cannot get rid easily. As a matter of fact, the people celebrate what they want,” said the MP. Mayor General of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca, vice president of the Liberal Party, said the functionaries who laid flowers at the Memorial Complex “Eternitate” this morning had the right to do it. “They had the right to stage that ceremony. If they consider they should lay a flower somewhere, no one can hinder them,” Chirtoaca said. Democrat MP Dumitru Diacov stressed that there is no public holiday in Moldova on February 23. He also said that the Parliament will soon adopt a bill to set the Defender of the Homeland Day. “Its name is not yet certain, but it is important that we have such a public holiday so that we do not celebrate on different dates,” Diacov said. Communist MP Igor Muntean accused the Government of lack of respect for the Moldovan people who did their military service in the Soviet period. “This holiday is part of our history. Several generations of Moldovans did the military service in the Red Army. Many of them died in the wars fought on this land. Only the Liberal-Democrats can manifest such negligence as they are persons with no history and future,” Muntean said. The leader of the United Moldova Party Vladimir Turcan considers that Moldova should celebrate on February 23. “This day became long ago the holiday of men, who are defenders of the country and the family. I think we should not deny it only because it is a Soviet holiday,” he said. On the Soviet Army Day, representatives of the Embassy of Russia, Embassy of Ukraine and Embassy of Belarus in Moldova as well as Moldovan military men laid flowers at the Memorial Complex “Eternitate” in Chisinau.