[Interview of the Series “Moldova–20! Whereto?” with literary critic Ion Ciocanu] [ – We celebrate the Our Language Day on August 31. Why don’t we say the name of the language?] – The Declaration of Independence in all the counties is the foundation stone from which all the rest of the documents derive, according to importance: the Constitution, the organic laws… In our country, they made a terrible mistake from the very beginning. The Declaration of Independence clearly says that Romanian is the official language of Moldova. But the Agrarians, Socialists and Interfrontists wrote Moldovan in the Constitution. The situation is catastrophic. I went to a village and asked a boy where the library was. He told me he does not know. He also said that his name was Misha and he spoke Moldovan. Where are we now if a child does not know where the library is, is called Misha and speaks Moldovan? [ – How did Romanian disappear from the Constitution if it was in the Declaration of Independence?] – Petru Lucinschi, whom I don’t really like, proposed writing Moldovan, and Romanian in parentheses, or vice versa. We then thought it wasn’t right, but now believe it would have been better so. The Moldovans living on the left bank of the Prut River not even today know what language they speak. In Volume No. 25 of the Complete Wok of V.I. Lenin, it is said: “Bessarabia is inhabited by Romanians”. Are additional explanations needed if this was said by an idol of the Communists? The language and the literature are in a disastrous situation. Immediate measures are needed to remedy the state of affairs. We have celebrated 20 years of independence. What kind of independence we need if we cannot solve at least elementary problems encountered in other areas? [ – How can the language problem be solved?] – The laws about the languages adopted in 1989 are outdated. They suggested restoring the State Languages Department. I headed the Department in 1993-1994. Earlier, it was headed by the great linguist Ion Dumeniuc. A lot was done for the language in that period, but the then executive closed the Department. We need a new law on the official language. If the authorities do not have money to draft it, I can do it gratis. [ – You said literature is in a disastrous situation.] – We have only one state publishing house – “Lumina”. More than half of the members of the Writers Union cannot publish their books. In order to publish a book, the writers should now invest their own money and they cannot recoup it. The libraries do not have money to buy books. [ – How did we cope in other areas during the independence years?] – The situation is rather tragic. Things in economy are far from being those deserved by our people. We have nothing of what they promised. We continue to eat cucumbers with saltpeter and tomatoes from Turkey. Where are our factories? I know they were taken to Russia. [ – Did everyone want Moldova to become independent 20 years ago?] – I know a number of details, including who and how prepared the materials, the Declaration of Independence, who and how behaved on the voting day and who ran away and did not sign it, but ‘posed’ as great patriots. The moment when Moldova proclaimed its independence was a happy one for those who waited for it and were ready to accept it. Others voted with hesitation. Some of those who did not sign the Declaration of Independence continue to have doubts today. We get off on the wrong foot and hadn’t been understood. [– By who?] – Neither those in Moldova nor the Moldovans living on the right bank of the Prut understood us. Romania supported our independence. Independent from whom? Russia? Romania? They could have done something on the night of the putsch. I don’t say ‘union’. This word continues to scare some people. But it shouldn’t as Romania will unite with Moldova in 10, 15, or 100 years. [ – Do you think that the present politicians do what they should for the country?] – I fully support one of the three current leaders. I back most of the steps taken by the second leader and I’m ready to vote for him, but I had never voted for the third leader and I don’t know if I would do it. But we elected them and they should manage the country, not argue between them. There is also another aspect that does not depend on our administration – the Moldovans’ mentality. The people did not realize that they should change their mentality. Many of them still vote for the Communists and are convinced that the situation would have been better if they had governed the country. Not many are satisfied with the new administration. I urge our leaders to find ways out of this situation. [Mariana Galben, Info-Prim Neo]