Parliament breaks for winter recess

The Moldovan Parliament closed its autumn session Friday, December 26, with a less formal sitting at which the Communist and Christian-Democrat MPs welcomed groups of carolers and drank champaign; in protest, the Opposition deputies refused to partake in the festive sitting and left the assembly hall, Info-Prim Neo reports. Earlier that morning, members and supporters of the Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) staged a manifestation outside the Parliament building to “bid farewell to the Communist-Frontist legislature” {(e.n. - the word 'Frontist' is a derogatory term used to refer to the Christian Democratic People's Party)}. The Social Democrat deputies announced they weren't participating in the sitting “in protest against the irresponsible attitude of the parliamentary majority to the numerous legislative proposals put forward by the Social Democrats throughout the year”. Similarly, the Democratic faction explained their refusal to attend the event by saying the proposals from the opposition had been always ignored by the majority. In her speech, Communist faction chair Eugenia Ostapciuc remarked that, with the closing of this session, the term of the sixteenth parliament is about to come to an end, as well. Ostapciuc declared that “the efforts of the PCRM deputies and of the entire Parliament have been directed at achieving several crucial goals: the socioeconomic reformation, the democratization of the society for the best of the people, and a decent place for Moldova in the European and global community”. “The time that has passed since 6 March 2005 demonstrates that these programs are implemented in a consistent manner, and the confidence of the population in our ability to fulfill the electoral promises remains high”, said she. Deputy Speaker Iurie Rosca, who is also the leader of the Christian Democratic People's Party (PPCD), said the greatest merit of the current parliament was that it managed to ensure political stability as a key element for the promotion of reform and for upholding the course of the European integration. “PPCD has assumed a constructive role in the process of consolidating the state and of harmonizing its own policies with the interests of the entire society. Our parliamentary group has realized that in situations of crisis a responsible party is obliged to go beyond doctrinal limits and cooperate with all the political forces able to play a positive role in promoting the interests of the country”, declared Rosca. For his part, Speaker Marian Lupu, said that the distinctive feature of the current parliament was the political partnership established among all the political groups in order to fulfill the goals of territorial reintegration and European integration. He informed that since 24 March 2005, the MPs have met 243 times in plenary sittings to debate and adopt roughly 1,500 acts. At the end of the speeches, the MPs who remained in the assembly hall listened to carols and traditional poems delivered by people dressed in popular celebration costumes, and then toasted with sparkling wine. The MPs will resume work in mid January and will start the last session of the current parliament in early February.