The referendum on the dismissal of Dorin Chirtoaca from mayoralty generated heated discussions between representatives of different political parties. The Liberals consider this plebiscite was a reward offered to the Party of Socialists (PSRM) by the Democratic Party (PDM) for supporting the mixed-member electoral system. The Socialists believe the referendum showed who supports the power and who is against it. The issue was developed in the talk show “Red button” on the public TV channel Moldova 1, IPN reports.
Deputy chairman of the Liberal Party Valeriu Munteanu said the referendum is a reward offered to the PSRM because this voted the law to introduce the mixed-member electoral system. “This referendum was a stage of the joint governance by the PDM and PSRM and was a reward by the Democratic Party for the Party of Socialists because the Socialists voted for the mixed system, undermining that grain of democracy that remained in the Republic of Moldova,” he stated.
Deputy chairman of the Party “Action and Solidarity” Mihai Popsoi said the PSRM could not expect another referendum result if only they naively hoped that Maia Sandu’s party would take part in the plebiscite. “The voters understood that this game was arranged by the PDM and PSRM and the result is the one we all saw,” stated Mihai Popsoi. According to him, the fate of the Chisinau City Hall is now in the hands of two persons: Vlad Plahotniuc through acting mayor Silvia Radu and Dorin Chirtoaca because this can resign if he wans.
Socialist MP Bogdan Tardea said this referendum clearly showed who is against the power and who supported the power by boycotting the plebiscite. “At first sight, this result is regrettable. The parties of the power managed to intimidate the population, to manipulate it and to keep the power in the hands of the Democratic Party. At the same time, this referendum caused a very powerful fissure within the right and the power as it clearly showed what methods are used to seize power,” stated Bogdan Tardea.
Pavel Postica, programs director at “Promo-LEX” Association, said an opinion poll carried out recently shows the Moldovans are now most afraid to speak in public about their political preferences. “When a subject that could tangentially show their political preferences was put up for a referendum, I think the people simply got scared,” he said, noting it is important to admit the fact that each party pursued a hidden agenda in this referendum, different from that declared by the referendum question.
The November 19 referendum on the dismissal of the suspended mayor Dorin Chirtoaca wasn’t validated because the voter turnout was 17.54% at a time when the minimum turnout is 33.3%.
