Political analyst Victor Gurau, director of the Center for Strategic Analysis and Monitoring “Alternative for Moldova”, said the power at the Chisinau City Hall has been usurped since 2016. In a news conference at IPN, Victor Gurau said the power was also usurped when deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu, as the acting mayor general of Chisinau, signed orders to name Ruslan Codreanu and Silvia Radu deputy mayors and then named Radu acting mayor instead of him.

Victor Gurau noted the amendments to the Law on the Status of Local Elected Official that took effect in August 2016 banned holding public posts on a continuous interim basis. Thus, the mandate of Nistor Grozavu is null and void from legal and political viewpoints. “If, before August 2016, this was still possible owing to the post succession aspect, after August 1 this succession was no longer relevant,” explained Victor Gurau. Consequently, all the appointments made since then at the City Hall are illegal and form part of the series of steps taken to usurp the power.

The analyst said he will notify the Prosecutor’s Office of the power void instituted at the City Hall and will also go to court to ask this to classify the actions of Nistor Grozavu, Silviei Radu and Ruslan Codreanu. He will also inform the Delegation of the European Union and resident ambassadors to Moldova because this is an evident example of usurpation of power by the violation of the legal norms.

Victor Gurau asked that the presented facts should be regarded as an intention to inform the people, not as an attack against particular election runners.