Ungheni voter allegedly beaten during electoral meeting

The Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) and the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) took attitude to the maltreatment of a voter from Ungheni town by bodyguards of former President Vladimir Voronin. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, the Communists Party's jurist Sergiu Sarbu denied the accusations, saying they are calumnies disseminated by parties that are losing popular support, Info-Prim Neo reports. The AMN and the PLDM make reference to witnesses, saying in a meeting of the Communist leader Vladimir Voronin with voters at the cultural home in Ungheni on October 21, a resident of the town, Anton Cotici, was taken out by Voronin's bodyguards and beaten brutally. “In the meeting, a number of people, including Anton Cotici, wanted to put questions. In the end, the man approached the PCRM leader and asked him questions. According to witnesses, Vladimir Voronin told his bodyguards to take him out of the cultural home. He was then beaten and abandoned,” the head of the PLDM's local organization in Ungheni Iurie Toma has told Info-Prim Neo. In a communique, the AMN says the head of Ungheni district Ion Harea confirmed the incident. “Yesterday's behavior of the Communists confirms that the PCRM used up its capacity of having a civilized dialogue with the people and resorts to methods that characterize it, namely intimidation, aggression, revenge against all the persons who have opinions that are different from theirs,” said Ion Harea, who is the deputy head of the AMN's local organization in Ungheni. The AMN demands that Voronin be deprived of bodyguard at least for the period of the election campaign. Another solution, according to the AMN, is to entrust of a group of employees of the Ministry of the Interior with the task of protecting the voters. Asked by Info-Prim Ne to comment, the PCRM's jurist Sergiu Sarbu said the situation was different than the one described by certain parties. According to him, Anton Cotici was an instigator who aimed to destabilize the situation during the Communists Party's meeting with voters. Thus, he was taken out by employees of the State Guard who maintainer public order. Voronin's bodyguard did not get involved. “We have 500 witnesses who can confirm that the given person was an instigator who violated public order in the hall and insulted those attending. He was handed over to the police. The disseminated statements are false. We are ready to defend our honor and dignity in court,” he said.