Supreme Court of Justice rejects Pasat initiative group's appeal

The Supreme Court of Justice Thursday rejected the appeal against the Chisinau Court of Appeals' decision to block the collection of signatures for holding a referendum on teaching the Basis of Orthodoxy in schools. The initiative group's leader Valeriu Pasat said despite the court's decision, tomorrow they will start collecting signatures, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The Supreme Court of Justice's decision shows again that nothing has changed in Moldova. It was taken under the pressure exerted by our political opponents. We will develop this subject yet,” Valeriu Pasat said after the hearing. He said that from tomorrow, they will travel to the country' districts and collect signatures. “We cannot betray the trust of the over 40,000 persons who supported us when we held a meeting in front of the Cathedral in central Chisinau,” the former head of the Security and Information Service said. Valeriu Pasat stressed that when the required signatures are collected, they will be submitted to the Central Election Commission and then to the Parliament. “We cannot ban the people from taking a decision,” he said. The Government's decision to introduce religion in schools as optional subject is incorrect, Valeriu Pasat considers. “The Government profaned an idea. The children will not be able to study the Basis of Orthodoxy at school, while the parents will not be able to express their positions in a referendum,” he said. The Chisinau Court of Appeals on June 15 banned the initiative group from collecting signatures in favor of holding the referendum.