President Maia Sandu, who is running for a new term in office, invites her opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo to an electoral debate without a moderator at the Palace of the Republic in Chisinau this Sunday, IPN reports.
"Mr. Stoianoglo, I wanted a debate about Moldova and the fate of the country. You turned it into a debate about the moderator. This is not what the Moldovans are waiting for. The people want to see my plan and your plan for Moldova. Let's remove the moderator from the discussion. You are the opponent and you need to talk to the people," Maia Sandu said in a video message.
The candidate of the Party of Action and Solidarity noted that she is waiting for Alexandr Stoianoglo, the Party of Socialists’ candidate for President, on Sunday, at 10:00 a.m., at the Palace of the Republic. “We will discuss in two, without a moderator – I will ask you 10 questions and you will ask me 10 questions. The people have the wisdom to decide for themselves what kind of President they want. Don't be afraid," Maia Sandu said.
After the presidential election, the two election contestants invited each other to an electoral debate. The apple of discord was the moderator. Alexandr Stoianoglo's team proposed journalist Gheorghe Gonța. The PAS team initially accepted him as a moderator, but changed its mind following criticism leveled at this journalist. The Press Council issued a statement in which it notes that the choice of Gheorghe Gonța as moderator "is a lack of respect for the public, legitimization of behaviors lacking integrity and promotion of practices that are absolutely inconsistent with professional and ethical journalism." The Council reminded that Gheorghe Gonța repeatedly admitted, in the interviews he gave, that he accepted "money in an envelope" from politicians.
Maia Sandu's team announced that it accepts debates with any moderator, but this must be agreed by the Council and coordinated with the opponent. In reply, Alexandr Stoianoglo insisted on his initial proposal that two moderators, Gheorghe Gonța and another one nominated by the opponent's team, participate in the debate.
In addition to Maia Sandu's message, the representative of the candidate's electoral staff Adrian Băluțel said that Maia Sandu also accepted the invitation of Moldova 1 and the Press Council to take part in the debate that will be organized on the national television channel next Monday.
