Press-Release
on the organization of the debate “Stake of candidates vs. stake of voters, second round”. Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”. Public debates series held by the news agency IPN in its conference room with the support of the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”

Held on 18 February 2020, Debate No.126 brought together: Independent candidate Grigore Cobzac, The Liberal Democratic Party’s candidate Anatolie Postolachi and Dorin Chirtoacă, the candidate of the UNION Electoral Bloc.  

Independent candidate Grigore Cobzac said that initially he took the decision to run in these elections out of protest, but now this decision is assumed and is supported by the team that is behind him, and he hopes it is also supported by the voters. “I’m not a beginner in the public sphere. I have experience of working as a district councilor, as a district head, as an MP and, more recently, as a town councilor. I have a very interesting experience, by the way, and can put it at the service of the voters from this constituency and not only. To a great extent, my experience is related to Hâncești town and it would be a pitty not to put this knowledge to the disposal of the people from Hâncești,” he stated, noting he is full of ideas and is eager to take up his duties as an MP if the people vote for him.

“What will I do if I enter Parliament as an independent? This question usually comes from parties that have by slightly more than ten seats of MP and that have to combine forces in order to promote bills, decisions, etc. I said not only once that a coalition government will be needed in the Republic of Moldova during many years, where the politicians, volens nolens, will have to reach a compromise. My experience of MP comes from the times when we formed a minority in a corrupt Parliament, like the previous one. You know that I served as an MP of the Liberal Democratic Party and remained to form part of that group till the end. Even if we formed a minority, our voice was heard and we were a voice that regularly pleaded against the regime. Believe me, in the current Parliament, resistance capacities will also need to be shown.”

The Liberal Democratic Party’s candidate Anatolie Postolachi said he will continue to work as he worked alongside the inhabitants of Hâncești district so as to earn the people’s trust and to obtain this seat. “I’m sure that the inhabitants of constituency No. 38 Hâncești want the future MP who will represent then in Parliament to be from Hâncești and to have character, be upright and be able to discuss and make the people’s problems, and evidently, the solutions to them heard,” he stated, noting that he served as the mayor of Buțeni village of Hâncești district for two terms. Later he held the post of vice president of Hâncești district on economic issues and since 2009 worked as the Government’s representative in Hâncești, managing the State Chancellery’s local office in Hâncești. He said that in time he travelled to each locality and discussed with the people there so as to identity solutions for each case apart.

The candidate noted he is ready to be near each citizen of this constituency and near each mayor who will need assistance in achieving their objectives. There is no other Moldovan political force than the PLDM that proved the pro-European aspirations and a first step in this direction was the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU in only three years of the coming to power. There is no other way out for Moldova, for the people living in Hâncești town and for each citizen in this country than the European integration that will generate only benefits. “That’s why we, as a party, and I, personally, will do our best to return forcefully and to achieve the objectives set since 2009 until 2015,” he stated.

Dorin Chirtoacă, the candidate of the UNION Electoral Bloc, said that even if the presidential elections are the priority of 2020, the new elections were caused by the one who won the seat of MP in this constituency last February and renounced it later. Each candidate aims to win this seat. “We are for democracy and have always pleaded for this. However, as they say, one swallow doesn’t make a summer, as an MP of the 101 is just a swallow and nothing more. But what each of us can do by a positive, civilized and civil mobilization campaign is to bring summer after the frost to which Plahotniuc pushed us by force several years ago. In fact, he, since 2005, had infiltrated and undermined what politics means in Moldova. That’s why we remained stagnant and things were thwarted at the times of Voronin and later, at the times of the Alliance for European Integration,” stated the candidate.

Dorin Chirtoacă noted he understands the arguments related to the native place, to Hâncești, but no divisions should exist as they are all citizens of the Republic of Moldova who deserve a better life. “I really want the democratic summer for Moldova to start with these elections in Hâncești. I want a summer of renaissance, of union as we focus primarily on the union with Romania. We consider this is the solution as, regrettably, the European Union, does not offer us the prospect of joining it, if only the prospect of being its neighbors and associates, which means remaining with this border and this customs post. But we want more and deserve more and should have enjoyed more since 1989. But we lost these 30 years. From discussions with people, I realized that the number of those who want this border on the Prut to be removed has grown,” he said.

The first round of debates held on February 17 involved the Democratic Party’s candidate Ion Mereuță, the Shor Party’s candidate Vitalie Balinschi, and Vladimir Bolea, who represented the Action and Solidarity Party’s candidate Olesea Stamate. The candidate of the Party of Socialists Ștefan Gațcan was also invited to the debate, but he invoked emergency professional reasons that prevented him from coming.

The debate “Stake of candidates vs. stake of voters” that involved candidates for MP in constituency No. 38 Hâncești, second round, was the 126th installment of the series of debates “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the German foundation “Hanns Seidel”.

The Agency published 4 news stories on the debate (see the English version of www.ipn.md): on 18.02.20, „Chirtoacă, Cobzac and Postolachi about their stake vs. stake of voters in Hâncești. IPN debate” - https://www.ipn.md/en/chirtoaca-cobzac-and-postolachi-about-their-stake-vs-stake-of-8004_1071584.html; „Grigore Cobzac: It would be a pity not to put my experience at service of people from Hâncești” - https://www.ipn.md/en/grigore-cobzac-it-would-be-a-pity-not-to-put-8004_1071587.html; „Anatolie Postolachi: I’m sure inhabitants of Hâncești want their representative in Parliament to be a local” - https://www.ipn.md/en/anatolie-postolachi-im-sure-inhabitants-of-hancesti-want-their-8004_1071589.html; „Dorin Chitoracă: Better life for residents of Hâncești is possible only by coming closer to Romania” - https://www.ipn.md/en/dorin-chitoraca-better-life-for-residents-of-hancesti-is-possible-8004_1071591.html.

IPN promoted the debate before and after the event, in particular the ensuing news stories, using all the available channels, including social networks. Confirmatory materials of deliverables, as well as a media coverage dossier are attached.

Valeriu Vasilica, director of IPN