The Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) on October 16 announced that is ready to take part in the parliamentary elections of 2018 together with the Political Party “Platform Dignity and Truth”, under a common list. The party said the concrete mechanism for forming the list will be agreed closer to the elections. The PAS also proposed constituting a joint commission for choosing candidates, with the participation of representatives of civil society, so as to make sure that the most suitable and upright candidates are put on the list.
Four former and current employees of the National Food Safety Agency (NFSA) and three businessmen will appear before judges on accusations of abuse of power, forgery in public documents and passive corruption by which considerable damage was done to the state budget. The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office on October 17 announced that the investigation was completed and the case was sent to court. The NFSA employees are accused of issuing over 360 national phytosanitary certificates to the three businessmen for exporting 7,200 tonnes of apples to Russia at the start of last year. But these exported apples from Poland to Russia through Belarus without crossing Moldova’s borders. It should be noted that in March 2016, Russia banned the export of apples from Moldova through Belarus. The accused persons plead not guilty. They were placed under judiciary control.
Students and teachers of the Theoretical Lyceum “Stefan cel Mare si Sfant” of Grigoriopol, which is now based in Dorotcaia, together with representatives of Promo-LEX Association, on October 19 mounted a protest in front of the Embassy of Russia in Chisinau. They demanded to ensure the right to education in the Transnistrian region and to implement the ECHR judgment passed five years ago, by which Russia was found guilty of violating the right to education of 170 plaintiffs. The protesters later marched to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and to the Presidential Building to demand that the authorities should take steps for the ECHR judgment of October 19, 2012 to be implemented and the right to education on the left side of the Nistru to be respected.
Parliament on October 19 adopted in the first reading a bill that enables private medical institutions to provide medical prophylaxis, diagnostic, treatment and surveillance services in the oncological field. One of the bill authors, Democratic MP Boris Golovin said the changes made to the legislation will offer persons suffering from cancer the right to choose the medical institution where they want to go. Now, the only medical specialized institution, the Oncological Institute, is overfull. The specialists there work in three shifts and the hospital does not have enough space. By allowing private hospitals to serve oncological patients, the number of persons who need to go abroad for treatment owing to the long lines at home and the equipment that often malfunctions here because it is overused will be decreased.
The suspended mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca hasn’t been registered as a participant in the November 19 referendum on his dismissal. The decision to reject the mayor’s request was adopted by the Chisinau District Electoral Council on October 19 by seven votes out of ten. The Chisinau District Electoral Council invoked that the documents for registration must be submitted in person. In the case of Dorin Chirtoaca, who is under house arrest, the documents were filed by proxy. Another reason for the refusal was that private individuals cannot be registered as participants in the referendum. This is possible only in case of parties and sociopolitical organizations. Consequently, the Liberal Party announced its intention to register as a participant in the plebiscite so as to persuade the voters of Chisinau municipality not to take part in the November 19 referendum.
The Constitutional Court on October 20 decided that the Speaker of Parliament or the Prime Minister will hold office of President on an interim basis for issuing the decree to name the minister of defense and for swearing this is. Given that the President deliberately refused to fulfill the constitutional obligation to name the candidate proposed two times by the Premier for minister of defense, this will be temporarily removed from office. This applies exclusively to the appointment of the minister of defense.
Selection by Sabina Rebeja, IPN
