Work of first Parliament in pictures

An album with photographs about the work of the first Parliament of Moldova (1990-1994) titled “The Independence Parliament” was presented during the scientific conference “The Parliament of Independence and Democratic Changes: 20 years of the constitution” on April 16, Info-Prim Neo reports. The album contains the most important laws adopted by the first Parliament, which are accompanied by pictures. The first MPs are shown in photos in the process of adopting the national flag and coat of arms as well as the Declaration of Independence. The pictures also show heated discussions in Parliament about Gagauzia and the Transnistrian conflict. Photographer Mihai Potarniche said he has worked on the album for more than six months. “Half of the pictures were taken by me in that period. The others were collected from other photographers. We do not have an archive and it was hard,” he said. Though the album focuses on the period between 1990 and 1994, it also contains pictures about 1989, when the national liberation movement contributed to the democratic election of the first Parliament. Member of the first Parliament Vladimir Darie, the head of the state-run news agency Moldpres, said a distorted history and Moldovan-Romanian dictionaries appeared over time. The mass media today publishes rankings of holders of guns instead of rankings of the politicians who own libraries. “This is a valuable album. We recommend the authorities to distribute it to every school and public library,” Vladimir Darie said. Attending the launch, His Holiness Vladimir, Metropolitan Bishop of Moldova, said the members of the first legislative body had been the first and last in Moldova's new history, who asked for the blessing of the Orthodox Church at the outset. Head of Parliament and Acting President Mihai Ghimpu said the conference comes to highlight that a change took place in Moldova 20 years later. “The people in those years pleaded for a democratic system as they wanted to get read of the Soviet regime imposed in 1940,” Mihai Ghimpu said. The album “The Independence Parliament” costs 400 lei. It was issued in 3,000 copies.