The Social Democratic Party (PSD) presented its platform titled “Strong Moldova –Powerful Economy” and the election candidates on February 15, Info-Prim Neo reports. The PSD’s slogan is “Patriots for a Strong Moldova” and the party promises to promote justice and solidarity and to combat corruption. The party’s president Dumitru Braghis said that the PSD commits itself to solving two major problems faced by the country – corruption and lack of workplaces. “The combating of corruption will be a major objective. The fight will begin from the country’s administration, not ordinary people. The PSD considers that all the state posts should be filled in by open contests. The number of inspection institutions and documents that regulate entrepreneurial activity will be reduced,” Dumitru Braghis said. The PSD leader also said that Moldova should renounce the liberal traditions and chose the socially orientated economy for development. The PSD secretary general Eduard Musuc said the strong Moldova that the Social-Democrats will build will be a neutral and sovereign country that will have good and mutually advantageous relations with all the countries. “When in power, the PSD will pursue a policy of permanent neutrality that can offer the country the advantage of developing strategic partnerships with the European Union and Russia,” said Eduard Musuc. The election platform says that the PSD will create at least 100,000 workplaces, will raise the minimum pension and salary to the minimum subsistence level and will fix an official minimum salary, including for budget-paid workers, of 600 lei up to the minimum subsistence level of 1,500 lei. The PSD also promises to provide a maternity benefit of 20,000 lei at the birth of the second and next child. The monthly child allowance would be raised fivefold – to 2,000 lei. “We will find possibilities of adjusting the higher and secondary education system to the European standards and of implementing the special programs of the PSD “Medicine for One and All”, “Revival of Culture, Spirituality and Patriotism”, “Urban Living Conditions in Moldovan Villages,” the platform says. The PSD also says that they will initiate the national program “Accessible Dwellings” to build up to 1,000 dwellings for young families yearly. It pledges that that state will subsidize the interest on mortgages for young families. The first ten candidates for MP in the party’s list are: the PSD leader Dumitru Braghis, the former chairman of the Chisinau Municipal Council Eduard Musuc, the president of Unicon Grup Victor Şelin, the director of Alfa si Ko SRL Nicolae Chendighilean, the deputy mayor of Chisinau Igor Lupulciuc, the head of City Development IM Ruslan Barladeanu, the president of Falesti district Nina Botezatu, the deputy director of Telecommontaj SRL Elena Panus, MP Ivan Banari and the president of Orhei district Andrei Globa. According to the information presented by the PSD, the party has more than 20,000 members. Dumitru Braghis became president of the PSD in December 2007 after the Social Democratic Party of Moldova headed by Eduard Musuc merged with the Social Democracy Party. This party was founded in 2006 by an initiative group, which left the Democratic Moldova Block in the autumn of 2005, after the parliamentary elections. After the fusion of the two parties, Dumitru Braghis was elected as president, while Eduard Musuc as secretary general.