Press Release
on the organization of the debate „Elections 2019: Please elect me MP because…“ Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”. Public debates series held by the news agency IPN in its conference room with the support of the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”
Held on 04 February 2019, Debate 103 brought together:
- Teo Cârnaț, candidate of the “People’s Will” Party (electoral competitor no.9 on the national ballot);
- Anatol Ursu, candidate of the “Democracy at Home” Party (electoral competitor no.11 on the national ballot);
- Andrei Donică, candidate of the “Speranța-Надежда” Movement (electoral competitor no.12 on the national ballot).
To ensure the balance standards required by the national electoral legislation and IPN’s own guidelines on the organization of debates, the same set of rules as in previous rounds were applied.
Teodor Cârnaț, of the “People’s Will” Party, said the party he represents will be the first that will really bring the people’s will to Parliament. “We are a team with rich knowledge behind as the average age of those who run in the elections is 49. 34-35% of the candidates on the party’s list are doctors of science and doctors habilitate of science. About 40% are jurists by profession, while the rest are teachers, engineers, journalists. There are also doctors. This way, the 30 candidates for MP include representatives from almost all the social spheres or associated sectors,” stated Teodor Cârnaț, who runs in the national constituency.
According to him, democracy, the rule of law, the triumph of justice and the return of the law enforcement agencies into the people’s service represent the stake of the elections of February 24, 2019. “Last but not least, the MP should know that he is the servant or is in the service of the people, not in the service of a mafia, oligarchic party or clientele. This should promote not the ideas of oligarchs in Parliament, but of the people,” stated Teodor Cârnaț. The candidate also said the party he represents has real chances of modifying the current composition of Moldova’s Parliament so that persons who really know what a legislature is, know people’s problems and how to solve them by personal activism shown during the past 20 years enter the legislative body. Teodor Cârnaț said the party’s leader Ștefan Urîtu and other members, such as Vladimir Popa and Ion Levința, are a conclusive example.
Anatol Ursu, of the Party “Democracy at Home”, said the unionist civic movement that has existed for over ten years in the Republic of Moldova ultimately decided to take this step towards politics. “We do not come with populist messages, promises of higher salaries and pensions because the Republic of Moldova does not have a sustainable economy that could guarantee these. We come with a common, clear, definite and univocal message, about the union of the Republic of Moldova with Romania. What we pledge to do during the next four years, after we enter the next Parliament, is to promote concrete projects designed to bring the two banks of the Prut closer and to ensure Moldova’s union with Romania. The message is also about the bridge over the Prut, energy interconnection and so on,” stated Anatol Ursu, who runs in the national constituency.
As regards the party’s list, the candidate said this does not include ex-Premiers, former MPs or members of the government as all those who had been in power until now, through various schemes, ruling alliances, varied parties disappointed the people. “We consider it’s time for a team of young people with unionist convictions to come to power in the Republic of Moldova and bring the union of the Republic of Moldova with Romania closer by pragmatic narratives as this is the only chance for all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to benefit from better living conditions. And then we could speak about the interconnection of the system of social payments, pensions and allowances, about the rise in salaries and better roads, not like those built by the current government,” he stated.
Andrei Donică, of the Professionals’ Movement “Speranța-Nadejda”, said the party’s main goal is to stop the genocide of Moldovans. He promoted this goal as a civic activist and as an “inhabitant” of the only permanent anti-genocide protest town that was created in 2015 and still exists, unlike others who, after promoting their image in front of the Parliament Building and the Government Building disappeared. “So, we are the only ones who still exist. Different pensioners and other people who do not have where to live and have pensions lower than the minimum subsistence level live there. We consider the pensioners, invalids, children younger than 18 and the students should now get pensions and allowances equal at least to the minimum subsistence level. We struggle for this and will do our best not to witness the situation described in the UN report, that the Republic of Moldova can disappear from the world map until 2100 as the number of Moldovans decreases,” stated Andrei Donică, who runs in the national constituency.
According to him, the stake of elections is very big and everyone should struggle for the nation as, if the Moldovan nation disappears, the country will also disappear. The genocide against which the party struggles is generated by grand corruption. Until this phenomenon is not stopped, there are no chances for stopping the genocide of Moldovans. The Movement “Speranța-Nadejda” is the only sociopolitical organization on the ballot and it is not a political party as its members are against all the political parties. The organization, even it is not in power, struggles and already has over 140 applications concerning pensioners with pensions lower than the minimum subsistence level submitted to court. If the Movement does not enter Parliament, it will anyway continue to struggle. If corruption is not rooted out, the country has no chances of survival. That’s why the Movement, which is the only organization that comes with such a proposal, considers capital punishment should be introduced for acts of corruption among MPs, ministers and other functionaries. Or the ‘reform game’ will continue for another 20 years.
The Party of Regions was also invited to the February 4 debate, but this delegated no representative to take part in this.
The contestants are invited to the electoral debates held by IPN Agency in accordance with the order in which they were registered by the Central Election Commission. The debate on January 30 involved representatives of the electoral bloc ACUM, the Party of Communists and the Party of Socialists. The Democratic Party didn’t respond to the invitation to attend the debate. Representatives of the Shor Party, the People’s Movement Antimafie, the Our Party and the National Liberal Party took part in the January 31 debate.
The Agency published 3 news stories on the debate (see the English version of www.ipn.md): on 04.02.19, „“People’s Will”, “Democracy at Home” and “Speranța-Nadejda” explain why their candidates deserve to be voted. IPN debate” - http://ipn.md/en/special/96272, „Justice, energy and corruption are among priorities of “People’s Will”, “Democracy at Home” and “Speranța-Nadejda”” - http://ipn.md/en/politica/96275; on 05.02.19,
„“People’s Will”, “Democracy at Home” and Movement “Speranța-Nadejda” about referendum. IPN debate” - http://ipn.md/en/politica/96278, „Position of parties “People’s Will”, “Democracy at Home” and Movement “Speranța-Nadejda” on uninominal constituencies” - http://ipn.md/en/politica/96276.
IPN promoted the debate before and after the event, in particular the ensuing news stories, using all the available channels, including social networks. Confirmatory materials of deliverables, as well as a media coverage dossier are attached.
Valeriu Vasilica, director of IPN