The head of the General Police Inspectorate warns that the law that bans war symbols must be informally obeyed all over the country. Viorel Cernăuțeanu said the police in all the territorial-administrative units were informed about the way in which this law is applied and the Autonomous Unit of Gagauzia is not an exception. The statement was made after the deputies of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia passed a law that allows using symbols of the Russian military aggression on the territory of the Autonomous Unit, in breach of the decision taken by Moldova’s Parliament, IPN reports.
The GPI chief noted that on May 9, when the Republic of Moldova celebrates Victory Day and Europe Day, police offices will monitor the observance of the law that bans war symbols. The citizens in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia who will not comply will be punished in accordance with the Contravention Code.
“The police are a national force and we have one law and one approach that is not adjusted depending on particular territories of the Republic of Moldova. We discussed intervention methods not only with the colleagues from the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, but with most of our colleagues. I wanted to make sure that the police exactly understand the principle of this law and that everyone realizes that the Contravention Code article that bans the use of these symbols will be uniformly applied by all the employees, either in Ocnița, Cahul or Chisinau,” Viorel Cernăuțeanu stated in a special edition on the public TV channel.
Accidentally or not, a new deputy head of the Police Division of ATU Gagauzia was named on Wednesday. This is chief commissioner Andrei Sîrbu, who earlier served as head of the Cahul Police Inspectorate.
Viorel Cernăuțeanu said the procedure to appoint a person at the Ministry of the Interior lasts for one month and a half or two months and the intention to name a deputy head at that subdivision was made public much earlier, but the procedure lasted.
On April 29, the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia adopted a bill that allows making, keeping and wearing the ribbon of Saint George, red flags and other symbols related to the victory in World War II in Gagauzia. In several days, the Bashkan of Gagauzia signed the law. Earlier, Moldova’s Parliament banned the promotion of symbols of the Russian military aggression, including the bicolor ribbon and letters Z and V that are used as distinctive signs of the Russian army in the war against Ukraine.
