The councilors of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) on Wednesday will begin to collect signatures for organizing a local referendum on the Republican Stadium. The Socialist councilors said that even if they cannot intervene as it is private property, the residents of Chisinau have the right to decide what should be erected there on the site of the former Republican Stadium that was sold to the U.S. Embassy, IPN reports.

In a news conference, councilor Dinari Cojocaru said that despite the impediments created by the representatives of the government, an initiative working group was set up and this was issued with permits and subscription lists. On Wedesnday, 235 persons will start to collect signatures. Tents will be put up in the capital city.

“We do not intend to take someone’s private property. We simply want to say what should be erected on that site – an embassy with a fence with barbed wire, with cameras and with movement restrictions or a cultural facility – sports grounds, a stadium, a park, a theater or a museum,” stated Dinari Cojocaru.

The bill to sell the site of the former Republican Stadium to the United States for construction of a New Embassy Compound was adopted by the regime controlled by Vlad Plahoniuc in 2018. In 2020, Parliament, on the Socialists’ initiative, repealed the law and the lot returned under public ownership. Later, through the agency of the Constitutional Court, the abrogation of the law was annulled. Recently, the bill was adopted by Parliament. Under the law, the historical gates and the entrance of the former Republican Stadium will be renovated so as to emphasize the historical significance of the site. The U.S. undertook to earmark a part of the lot for a park that will be accessible to the public.