The National War Veterans Council constituted on February 8 invites the citizens and veterans to take part in a protest in the Great National Assembly Square of Chisinau on March 2, starting at 9am, in connection with the Memory Day. In the protest, they will demand that the authorities should institute the War Veterans Reverence Day that would also be marked on March 2.

Council member Nicolae Gîrbu, in a news conference at IPN, said that analyzing the socioeconomic and political situation in the country, the war veterans who sacrificed their health for the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, found out with concern that the state was captured by private interests. They note the fact that the government didn’t satisfy veterans’ demands put forward on February 8 points to authorities’ antihuman and degrading acts towards the defenders of the state and the citizens.

Council member Andrei Eremia called on the veterans who form part of other veterans’ organizations to join in the March 2 protest. “We were used by different parties, political players that divided us. We are sympathizers of different parties, but this should not prevent us from uniting,” said the veteran.

Nistru war veteran Valeriu Sava said the soldiers who fought in 1992 were humiliated and disgraced by all the governments so far. The veterans were used mainly in elections and were then forgotten.

The Memory Day celebrated on March 2 commemorates the soldiers killed in the 1992 armed conflict for defending the integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova. About 300 combatants and over 400 civilians were killed in that war. Several hundred people suffered injuries. The ceasefire agreement was signed by Moldova and Russia on July 21, 1992.