The 26 councilors of the Party of Socialists will boycott the February 4 meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC). The group’s leader Ion Ceban told a news conference that a protest will be staged at the Chisinau City Hall tomorrow, February 4, IPN reports.

Ion Ceban said the situation in the municipality of Chisinau continues to be disastrous. Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca declares that he does not allow illegal constructions, but in fact sell plots on which to erect buildings and allows constructions without the authorization of firefighters and other competent authorities. “We will no longer tolerate illegal constructions,” he stated.

Ion Ceban noted that a meeting of the CMC was to be held on January 28, but a number of councilors didn’t present themselves. The next day, the Socialists submitted an application, asking that a meeting should be summoned on February 11 and proposing discussing a number of issues, such as the gas cylinder explosion in a café located near the Central Market, which resulted in four deaths, the illegal constructions, appropriation of land and holding of public contests to fill a number of posts.

“But the mayor ordered that the CMC should be convened on February 4. There are 449 items on the agenda, 406 of which refer to leasing out of land and privatization. We will mount a protest at the Chisinau City Hall tomorrow. The 26 councilors will boycott the meeting. We will wait for them with reports and resignations on February 11,” stated Ion Ceban.

He called on all the groups from the CMC to discuss the appropriation of municipal property and urged the businessmen not to become involved in different mishmashes at the City Hall and to build legally, if they want to erect something, and not to touch the playgrounds and green areas.