About 1,700 delegates from all Moldova’s districts came together at the constitution congress of the Liberal Reforming Party (PLR) on December 15. MP Ion Hadarca was elected as chairman of the party by 969 votes, while his opponent Vitalie Marinuta gained 305 votes. Lawmakers Ana Gutu and Oleg Bodrug were voted in as co-chairpersons. The party also has seven deputy heads, IPN reports.
The congress adopted the party’s statutes. The song “Oh, Freedom”, whose verses were written by Ion Hadarca, while music by Anatol Dumitras, was chosen as the anthem of the PLR. Light blue is the party’s official color, while a stylized blue eagle carrying the stars of the European Union’s flag on its wings is its emblem. The new party aims to be a center-right one, with a Liberal doctrine. Its slogan is “Together we have a European future”. The PLR wants Moldova to join NATO.
According to the results announced by the head of the validation commission, the constitution congress of the PLR involved 1,689 participants. There were printed 1,696 ballots for electing the party’s chairman. Of the total number of votes, 1,274 were declared valid.
The PLR was formed following a split inside the Liberal Party of Moldova, headed by Mihai Ghimpu, in the middle of this April. Seven of the 12 MPs of the Liberal faction, two ministers and other heavyweights of the party constituted the Council for Reforming the Liberal Party and demanded convening an extraordinary congress to start reformation processes, including changing the party’s administration. The demand was rejected, while the signatories of the reformation statement were excluded from the party or were deprived of political support. Afterward, the signatories initiated the creation of a new party.
