The Chisinau councilors of the Party of Socialists requested the Public Property Agency and the Government to transfer the site of the former Republican Stadium under the management of the Chisinau City Hall. Later, based on a referendum, it should be decided what namely to build on that site – a park or a social facility, like a philharmonic, for example.

The Socialist councilors said they are categorically against the sale of the site of the former Republic Stadium to the U.S. for construction of a new Embassy Compound as there are other solutions to this problem, IPN reports.

“If the task is to only extend the U.S. Embassy Compound, the problem can be solved by negotiations and the city can offer other options to the Embassy,” councilor Alexandr Odintsov told a news conference.

He reminded that the decision to sell the 5.18 ha lot of the former Republican Stadium was taken by the parliamentary majority controlled by Plahotniuc in 2018.

“Currently, the PAS majority intends to implement the law that was adopted on the instruction of Plahotniuc. We call on the parliamentary majority to abandon this unsuitable idea and, together with the Embassy, to consider other possibilities for solving the problem,” said Alexandr Odintsov. According to him, talks with the American side were held earlier and the Embassy was ready to examine other options.

According to the Socialists, the referendum will be a real democratic procedure.

The bill to sell the site of the former Republican Stadium to the U.S. for construction of a new Embassy Compound was passed by the “regime of Vlad Plahotniuc” in 2018. In 2020, Parliament, on the Socialists’ initiative, repealed this law and the lot became again public property. Later, the repealing of the law was annulled through the Constitutional Court.