The resignation of all the members of the Broadcasting Coordination Council and definitive release of the minibus driver, who was arrested after the September 17 protests and is investigated under arrest, are two new demands that were put forward in a new protest that was organized by the Great National Assembly Council on October 1. The participants in the protest made speeches and chanted slogans in front of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection and then marched to the head office of the public TV channel Moldova 1, where they again demanded an hour of airtime a week for the opposition, IPN reports.
In front of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, the leader of the Political Party “Platform Dignity and Truth” Andrei Nastase said that this place wasn’t chosen accidentally as the International Day of Older Persons is celebrated on October 1. This Ministry supported only anti-popular reforms of the government, which were aimed against the elderly people who made an enormous contribution to strengthening the Republic of Moldova as a state. “We continue to protest against the illegalities committed by the government. We protest against the law by which the repayment of the embezzled funds is made the people’s burden. We protest against the law on the mixed member system adopted by Plahotniuc-Dodon by which the principle of proportionality or representativeness is eliminated. We protest against our non-admission to the public TV channel that is financed with the taxpayers’ money. We continue to demand nominal penalties for Plahotniuc, Dodon and those who are close to them,” stated Andrei Nastase.
The leader of the Party “Action and Solidarity” Maia Sandu said the people will not tolerate a two-bit government because the elderly people have struggled since the 1990s and will not concede because these actions are based on real values and the corrupt government forgot about its obligations towards these people. “Referring to our demands, Candu told us to wash our faces, but I say he should take a cold shower and should understand together with his relatives from Parliament that we will not tolerate a government of 3% and two bits,” she stated.
Victor Leanca, chairman of the Pensioners Union, said that on the International Day of Older Persons this category of citizens shouldn’t have met at such events, but the situation of the elderly makes them express their disagreement and demand rights.
On the way to the public TV channel, the protesters chanted “Down with the mafia!”, “Shame!”, “You drive the young people away!”, ”PD-PSRM – red plague!”, “We are the people”, “Join us!”, “We will not give up!” etc.
The protest continued in front of the building of Moldova 1 channel, where there was a police cordon. The protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the administration of the public TV channel didn’t accept the request to provide by an hour of airtime a week. Andrei Nastase said there were no police officers at the Ministry of Labor, but these were mobilized at the public TV channel because the government is interested in the “propagandistic machinery”.
Maia Sandu noted that those who must make sure that the people are informed correctly should be ashamed. The public TV channel belongs to the people, not to the government. The protest organizers said the demonstrations will continue and the dates of these will be made public later.
According to the General Police Inspectorate, the protest mounted by several political parties in front of the head office of Moldova 1 involved about 200 people. The protesters said the figure was much higher and the government intentionally placed obstacles to them so that the people could not get to the protest.
