We won't yield to pressure. Info-Prim Neo interview with Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca of Chisinau

[ - In 2008 the Chisinau City Council had two decisional majorities. How did they perform?] - The majority formed by the initiative of the Liberal Party in 2007 was active for just a few months, because in December 2007 the Social Democratic faction had already switched allegiance, not yet openly, to the Communists’ camp. That majority vowed to make reforms, to bring the activity of the Council back into the pattern of legality, to settle some of the debt, to adopt decisions in the interests of the residents of Chisinau municipality. Unfortunately, many of these draft decisions were rejected by the Social Democratic faction, and then by the PCRM and the PPCD (e.n. – the Communists and the Christian Democrats). Their passage had been blocked before the very same decisions were finally approved with the establishment of a new majority on June 6. The intention was to turn that thing into an accomplishment of the second majority grouping. But in fact, those were the decisions drafted by the City Hall earlier, which no one but them rejected. The efficiency of the first majority is obvious, because there was adopted a pack of decisions more than important for the municipality. We managed to raise the validity period of the licenses for the businessmen from 1 to 5 years with the support of the Council, we gave 20 to 30 percent raises to the public sector employees in the city, in particular teachers, we established a fixed food allowance for the schoolchildren, we modified the statutory framework to improve the efficiency of the municipal departments, which made things easier both for the City Hall employees and the beneficiaries of municipal services. I definitely can’t call the second majority effective, because they adopted a host of illegitimate acts, now challenged in court. Giving land and property without a prior invitation for bids is defiance of the law. This is the job of those who call themselves a majority. And this happens because they realize very well they don’t enjoy popular support, and therefore they are desperately looking for solutions for their own concerns before the situation gets really bad for the Communists. In doing that, they forget about the law, they don’t care whether these decisions are good or wrong. They are just acting in self-interest. This is my definition for the second majority. [ - How did the relationship between the City Council and the mayor develop over the past year and how did this affect the residents of the city?] - My relationship with the councilors has been, and remains, good. In particular, I’m talking about the councilors who participated in establishing the 2007 coalition, but also those who, without being part of the first coalition, didn’t join the Communists and the others in the second one. Our relations are based on mutual respect and colleagueship. Even if there are heated debates and reciprocal criticism, we all seek to do good for Chisinau municipality, and, from that perspective, I have the support of the councilors. Concerning the councilors representing the Communists’ Party and their sycophantic allies, it was sabotage from the very beginning, and it continues until the present days, although sometimes, in bilateral discussions, we mange to work some things out. But when it comes to voting, they raise their hands as they were told within the coalition, and that totally contradicts the previously reached agreements. This happens because in our country, unfortunately, people depend much on a system they are part of, be it a political party, a clan or other things that make them dependent on a certain situation. Had they been able to make decisions based on their own consciousness, I think we would have reached better results. The effects on the residents of the city cannot be other than negative, because when at a certain political stage the administrative system is ruined, when destruction is sought -- and regrettably this is what the Communist majority in the Council seeks today -- things develop at much lower speeds. The intention is to institute a duality of authority. But we won’t yield to pressure and will continue doing our job according to the law, despite abuses. Yet, in any case, the ultimate victims of this situation are the residents of the city. [ - What can you do as Mayor of Chisinau to change things for the better in the city in 2009?] - The year 2009, as it looks now, will be a continuation of 2008. We’ll have to continue doing our job in the same manner despite all difficulty. There are quite troubled times ahead as the parliamentary polls approach, but we’ll try to ensure at least the same levels of performance for the local administration. Our task is to keep going despite spokes being put in our wheel. I believe it would be right that the Council should respect the rights and the authority of the executive branch and let the mayor administrate the municipality of Chisinau; rather the Council should stick to what it’s primarily created for – establish the framework for normal functioning – and not attempt to take over the authority of the executive. This is absolutely doable, if there is will among the councilors.