Dear Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps,

I am reaching out to you to directly inform you about the republican consultative referendum on the international recognition of Moldova’s neutrality. This initiative has been put forward by the INIMA MOLDOVEI party, which I have the privilege to lead.

We arrived at this decision after numerous meetings with citizens. People are deeply concerned—they fear that Moldova could be drawn into conflicts. Although our country has declared neutrality, in practice, it is not guaranteed. The only way to safeguard peace is to achieve its international recognition. We sought to bring this matter to a referendum so that the people could clearly express their will, and the authorities would receive a legitimate mandate to take the necessary international steps.

However, the Parliament ignored our initiative, and the Central Election Commission (CEC), under unfounded pretexts, refused to register the initiative group for collecting signatures. We consider this decision to be politically motivated. During the CEC meeting where this matter was discussed, statements were made that confirmed the political nature of the decision. By acting in a manner that contradicts democratic principles, the CEC has essentially undermined one of democracy’s fundamental principles—the people’s right to decide critical national issues through a referendum.

This raises a serious question: Is the CEC even capable of organizing free and fair elections? It is worth recalling that following the 2023 elections, the OSCE/ODIHR mission explicitly recommended reforming the composition of the CEC. We have now seen firsthand why such reform is necessary.

Dear Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps,

Despite these challenges, we remain committed to our goal. We are using all legal means to ensure that the voice of the Moldovan people is heard on this crucial issue. Together with my colleagues, we have drafted a Declaration-Address calling for the international recognition of Moldova’s neutrality and the organization of a referendum.

We have already begun traveling across the country, meeting with citizens, and collecting signatures in support of this initiative. At the appropriate time, we will submit this document, along with the collected signatures, to the state authorities. With such strong public support, the government will have no choice but to organize the referendum and subsequently seek international recognition of Moldova’s neutrality.

We are determined to see this through to the end and to prove that no political decision can stand in the way of the people’s right to freely express their will. We will continue to keep both the public and the diplomatic community informed of our next steps.

Sincerely,
Irina Vlah, Chairperson of the Republican Party INIMA MOLDOVEI

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