Dumitru Chubashenko refuses Order of the Republic

Journalist Dumitru Chubashenko, who is a candidate for MP on the Humanist Party's list, refused to accept the Order of the Republic in protest that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was awarded the same order, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communique from the party. “I do not want to bear this order alongside Saakashvili, who on March 2, 2005 came to Chisinau to support the Communists Party headed by Vladimir Voronin, together with whom he fought against Russia. I do not want to have the same order as Saakashvili, who is promoting an anti-Russia policy and started the war in South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” said Dumitru Chubashenko. The journalist said Saakashvili's visit to Chisinau was a provocation, stressing the President of Georgia got involved in the electoral process in order to support the Alliance formed by the Liberals and Democrats. “By their actions, these leaders, together with Saakashvili, make the relations between the right and left banks of the Nistru tenser,” he said. Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili paid an official visit to Moldova on November 24. Acting President Mihai Ghimpu conferred the Order of the Republic on him in gratitude for his special contribution to developing the bilateral friendship and cooperation relations and for the assistance provided to Moldova.