The referendum that is to be held in Gagauzia on February 2 is illegal and represents an element aimed at destabilizing the internal situation in Moldova. It will fail, while those who play with people’s votes will be punished. Such an opinion was stated by invitees to the program “In Depth” on the public TV channel Pro TV, IPN reports.
Deputy chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova Vadim Pistrinciuc said that Moldova has only one national project – the integration into the European Union. The opposition manipulates the people in Gagauzia, saying this means the Romanization of Moldova. The events held illegally are not democratic in character and affect the internal stability.
Communist MP Grigore Petrenco said that after the association with the European Union, a part of Moldova’s sovereignty will be controlled by the European officials from Brussels. The referendum organized in Gagauzia will pose no threat to Moldova’s statehood. But there is yet no definitive court decision that would declare the organization of the February 2 referendum illegal.
“The decision of the Comrat court will be challenged the next days. The Moldovan government created artificial tensions. The Comrat court’s decision is a political order, while the criminal case started by the Prosecutor General’s Office is orchestrated by Traian Basescu, who makes anti-state statements. We are not a Romanian, but multiethnic state. The authorities do not understand this and do not discuss the issue with the people so as to realize their problems,” said Grigore Petrenco.
MP Valeriu Saharneanu, who is a member of the group of reformers, said the government is to blame for not doing field work and for doing nothing to involve the people in the implementation of the initiated reforms. “Moscow and the elements that are present here work very punctually with the people and misinform them about the European course. The people are threatened with Romanization. Many representatives and employees of education institutions from southern Moldova say they do not want a referendum. Many do not share this view and the criminal case was started justly,” he stated.
In the same connection, president of the Constitutional Court Alexandru Tanase said that no referendum will take place on February 2 as the Electoral Code specifies exactly the conditions and issues that can be put up for referendum. The events happening in the region are political in character. “The people must understand for what they vote for and must not be manipulated. The referendum questions must be related to the powers of the local authorities, but the questions proposed for the February 2 plebiscite are not within the competence of the local authorities,” he said.
Head of Parliament Igor Corman and Prime Minister Iurie Leanca on January 22 will take part in a meeting of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, which will center on the planned referendum on the country’s external development course and on Gagauzia’s right to external self-determination if Moldova loses its status of independent state. On January 20, it was decided to set up working groups to deal with the socioeconomic problems of Gagauzia. The groups will include representatives of the Government, Parliament, the People’s Assembly and the executive committee of Gagauzia.
