PL will propose drastic penalties for use of Communist symbols

The Liberal Party (PL) proposes harsher penalties for those who defy the law and continue to use Communist symbols for political purposes. Liberal MP Victor Popa said that harsher administrative or even criminal penalties could be introduced, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The Communists have already appealed Parliament’s decision by which we condemned the totalitarian Communist regime, which committed crimes on the territory of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. We didn’t condemn the party, but a regime. We didn’t forbid the symbols of a party, but of a regime. The Communists think we are taking vengeance, but it’s not true. We’ll submit a draft law forbidding Nazi symbols like the swastika. It’s normal to forbid symbols under which crimes and genocides were committed”, stated Victor Popa. According to the MP, if the Communist Party doesn’t comply with the law it will receive fines of 10,000 lei. After the second fine, the Ministry of Justice will have the right to initiate the process of removing them from the registry of parties. “We came up with a legislative initiative through which we want to introduce a harsher punishment if the law isn’t respected. We may sharpen either the administrative penalty, like community work up to 60 days, or even arrest up to 15 days or criminal liability. The commission on legal issues, appointments and immunities will decide. The Communists themselves provoke us. They declare they won’t give up their symbols and won’t respect the law. How can you defy the law being a member of a Parliament that adopts those laws?”, said the Liberal MP. The Communists’ Party appealed at the Constitutional Court Parliament’s decision to condemn the totalitarian Communists regime and the amendment to the Law on parties which bans the use of Communists symbols, in particular the hammer and the sickle.