War veterans propose staging general strike against Communist government

Two associations of combatants of Moldova call on the public associations and political parties to organise a general strike against the Communist government and seek its resignation. The appeal was made by the leaders of the Association of War Veterans - 1992 “Tiras-Tighina” and of the League of Employees, Veterans and Combatants of Law Enforcement, Justice and Emergency Agencies “Justice” at a news conference on January 13, Info-Prim Neo reports. Anatol Caraman, the chairman of the Association “Tiras-Tighina”, said that since the Communists came to power, the situation of the veteran participants in the armed conflict on the Nistru has worsened. Most of the military pensioners are starving and are poorly dressed. Caraman said that they made interpellations to the parliamentary groups and independent MPs, asking that the pension of the war invalids of the first and second degree be increased, but all in vain. At the same time, Anatol Caraman accused the government of the attacks on the Romanian language and history, of the attempts to federalise Moldova and divide the society into “ours and yours”. Alexandru Banari, the chairman of the League “Justice”, said that from 2003 the war participants have not received the increment to the pension and this is a violation of the legislation. According to veterans, an invalid of the 1992 war now receives a pension of 700-800 lei.