In a news conference, Valeriu Munteanu announced that he decided to leave the PL and will support the future bloc ACUM, which, as he considers, represents the united, authentic pro-European, pro-Romania, anti-Putin and anti-duo opposition. According to Munteanu, Mihai Ghimpu does not want the PL to form part of the bloc of the united opposition... This is a good occasion for quoting Nietzsche: “That which is ready to fall, shall ye also push!”

In reply in the social media, the president of honor of the Liberal Party Mihai Ghimpu called his former partisan “a liar”.

The PAS welcomed Valeriu Munteanu’s decision, while Andrei Nastase, the leader of the Party “Dignity and Truth Platform”, wrote on Facebook: “I call again on those who are blackmailed and blackmailable to leave politics immediately and to stop negotiating Moldova’s future as this is not negotiated.”.

The Party of Communists (PCRM), in the plenary meeting of the party’s Central Committee on December 9, decided that it will take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections under the party list and in single-member constituencies. Executive secretary of the Central Committee of the PCRM, MP Elena Bodnarenko said also that the PCRM will boycott the referendum that will be held simultaneously with the parliamentary elections. “As the PDM’s rating is low, they try to deceive the citizens and attract them to the polls,” said the politician.

The causes that make the Gagauz politicians distance themselves from the PDM party brand or throw support to the Socialists ca be found in the results of the sociological polls conducted recently in the autonomous unit, Veaceslav Craciun from Comrat noted in an article for IPN. According to the pre-electoral barometer issued by the sociological company Date Inteligente, the PSRM has big chances of winning in the two constituencies in Găgăuzia. But it is too early to make forecasts concerning the results. Socialists’ opponents have their own potential that could be supported by the administrative resources of the ruling party. Besides, the Democrats can support the loyal candidates by allowing them to propagandistically use the results of the programs implemented by their Government. At least inaugurations of roads repaired under the PDM’s programs by some of the candidates who officially left this party take place regularly in the region.

A number of 600 national public libraries will represent a neutral electoral education and information platform for the citizens with the right to vote from Moldova. During the electoral period, the libraries will house discussions and training seminars and will provide free access to online information sources and platforms and specialized consultancy in the field as part of the project “Promotion of Voter Information” that is implemented by the independent organization IREX with the financial assistance of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova in cooperation with the Association of Independent Press and the Electronic Press Association of Moldova.

Moldova’s former ambassador in Bucharest Iurie Reniță said the European integration process is extremely fragile at present. According to him, the political criteria and conditions in the relationship with the EU are key, being followed by the technical, financial and social ones. If it does not meet the political conditions, the Republic of Moldova should not expect to receive the €100 million in macro-financial assistance. “The EU was the most generous international institution that maintained and financially injected the Republic of Moldova,” he said.

In the series “2018: how it was and how it wasn’t!?”, IPN News Agency presents the views of the authorities and civil society on the defense sector. The content includes: Program “Professional Army 2018-2021” – a premiere; Budget for Defense – insufficient; National Security Strategy hasn’t been yet approved; Security level matches investment level”.

Two education institutions and two medical institutions will be modernized with the assistance of the Government of Japan. Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova Masanobu Yoshii, alongside the directors of the four institutions, signed the grant contracts for the implementation of four new projects as part of the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects Scheme “Kusanone”. The grant assistance totals US$ 267,130.

Masanobu Yoshii said several more financing contracts as part of “Kusanone” could be signed next spring.

Details on IPN!