Patent vendors march, picket Parliament

Patent merchants from Moldova marched through Chisinau, on Thursday, March 13, protesting against Law 208 forbidding their work. The crowd, as long as one kilometer according to organizers, has had as final destination the square in front of the Parliament’s building. The merchants shouted slogans against the country’s leadership and have urged the opposition MPs to join them for the sake of justice, Info-Prim Neo reports. Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) leader Serafim Urecheanu has called on the protesters to stick together and not to give in. The parliamentarian has told them he had repeatedly tried to pass through the Parliament a moratorium on the mentioned law till 2015, but had got no backup. According to Urecheanu, speaker Marian Lupu misled the MPs telling them the Economy and Commerce Ministry (MEC) had reached an agreement with the patent holders. AMN parliamentarian Valeriu Cosarciuc has stated AMN is in solidarity with the protesters and regrets that the merchants from Floresti, Causeni and Ungheni were hindered to reach the procession, as their buses were seized. ”In Moldova they violate not only the right to labor and decent living, but also the rights to free travel, to expression and speech,” Cosarciuc said. Social-Democrat leader Dumitru Braghis has encouraged the protesters not to believe in the Government’s promises and to insist upon the unconditional abrogation of Law 208. “The discussions led by the Government and the decisions approved of are contradicting. It’s clear they do not want to solve the issue in the favor of patent holders,” the MP said. The president of the Small Business Association (AMB,) Eugen Roşcovanu, reiterated the statements made two days ago at a news conference. He has said the talks with the Government were broken on reason the modifications proposed by authorities contained nothing new. Behind the red tape wordings, interdictions similar to the ones from Law 208 hide. Asked by media to comment the officials’ statements on the concessions accepted by the Economy Ministry, Roşcovanu has said they are just empty words pursuing to mislead the public opinion. “No agreement has got the shape of any draft to be put up for adoption. We halted the negotiations because the Government was tergiversating the solution of the problem,” the AMB president said. According to him, the protests will go on. Eugen Roşcovanu has called on protesters to arm themselves with patience and not to admit violent actions. “This what they expect – us to act violently in order to be banned to protest. We shall protest in a civilized way. Stubborn actions always yield results,” their leader said. The patent-merchants have organized over 130 protest actions up to now, claiming to annul Law 208.