Dumitru Diacov: When every citizen from the Nistru's left bank feels he lives better, settling the Transnistrian issue will be a real and very close matter . Info-Prim Neo survey

Info-Prim Neo News Agency is conducting an opinion poll on the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict among leaders of political parties, representatives of the civil society, and opinion shapers from both banks of the Nistru. The survey is aimed at finding out viewpoints that could contribute to the improvement of the present situation. All the participants were asked the same two questions. This time, the answers are given by Dumitru Diacov, the president of the Democratic Party (PDM). [ - How can the dispute be solved in your opinion? In what way, through what mechanisms and during what terms is a settlement possible? ] - What is being built for years can be destroyed overnight. Yet, what is being destroyed for years cannot be easily and quickly restored. This truth is perfectly valid in the case of the Transnistrian conflict, too. Transnistria's issue has existed for 16 years. No matter how much we, the ones from Chisinau, would dislike it, we have to recognize that, during this period, on the left bank, a quasi-state has formed with all the due institutions and services. Even more serious it is that a new generation has grown up there, who has never been in the integral Moldovan state. The people on the Nistru's left bank, even though they may not be happy with their situation, live for years according to certain laws, in certain social conditions. They got accustomed with the education system from there, with the banking system, with public utilities etc. Most of them look at the life on the right bank as at something strange. And this is the most complicated and most difficult issue to be solved. Drafting a very ample, detailed, elaborate plan of getting closer the people from both banks is imperious. Long-term, multi-stage programs of harmonization of different institutions and areas of the social, economic and political life from the Eastern districts and the rest of the country are necessary. In the PDM's viewpoint, the main task of the Reintegration Ministry would be namely developing and coordinating these programs with other ministries and institutions. However this Ministry has turned into a group of preparing and keeping idle the so-called negotiating process. Certainly, we do not underestimate the need of the dialog in the 5+2 format, but we are very concerned that all the efforts meant to settle the Transnistrian issue reduce only to talks, while the issue of re-conquering the people's trust remains ignored. For example we do not at least one special program at the public television meant to inform our left bank citizens truthfully. Yet, the main solution, and the most efficient, too, is solving the problems in Chisinau. It's plainly obvious that, when life on the right bank changes for better, when the citizens' incomes will really rise, not only in the Government's documents and statements, when the foreign investments come visibly, when the industry is re-launched, when agriculture is modernized, finally, when every right bank citizen feels he lives better, we bring you all assurances, despite all the opposition of the Tiraspol “elite”, solving the Transnistrian problem will be a real and very close matter. Because, then, we'll get the categorical support of the entire left bank population, even of those who have never lived in the integral Moldovan state. [ - How do you think, how efficient and relevant to the created situation are the steps taken by the administration of Moldova at present? When do you think the effort made by the authorities will begin to produce results and what results can we expect? ] - PDM has permanently and consistently expressed its support for all the initiatives and proposals meant to contribute, albeit to the smallest extent, to settling the Transnistrian conflict, no matter who launches those proposals. In this regard, we welcome and support the latest attempts of the Governments to step up the settling process. Although we perfectly realize that the Government is first and foremost pursuing electoral purposes and maintenance in power, PDM will support and is ready to contribute to implementing any plan or program on settling the conflict, if it is likely to offer perspective and bring genuine results. Here, however, PDM has two conditions of principle, that we're never going to give: - Any document (plan, accord) on the Transnistrian issue can be accepted and supported, only if it is discussed by all the parties of the 5+2 format. The decisions made shall lead to consolidating the state state, not to weakening it. We'll not accept the slightest lack of transparency, any separate talks and agreements, because we're firmly confident they, by definition, cannot contribute to settling the problem, but can only make it worse, as it has already happened in the past. - Regardless of what way is chosen to settle the issue, we cannot afford giving up the constitutional principles, our country's sovereignty and integrity. We'll not accept any model, any scheme of reintegrating the country, which can possibly worsen the situation on any of the river's banks. We cannot afford solving the problems of a party of a country on the account of the other. At the same time, to be sincere, we look very skeptical at the latest statements of the rulers to solve the Transnistrian issue within a short time, even before the 2009 elections. We have huge doubts that such a serious matter can be solved in a propaganda style, within record terms, as the Communist rulers try to persuade us. So, we stick to the conviction that most of the actions undertaken by the present Government, some of them rather spectacular, by the way, as the recent meeting between Igor Smirnov and Vladimir Voronin, however, first, have the goal to prepare the Communist Party for the electoral race, trying to mislead the voter concerning this issue extremely important for the country – an extremely regrettable situation, because we believe now we pass through a very convenient time, from the geopolitical viewpoint, when we can change for better the process of solving this conflict, so painful and important for this country.