Municipal Councillors Share Opinion on 2006, Prospects on 2007. Report by Info-Prim Neo

[Communist councillors label the incumbent leadership of the City Call as “weak”] Victor Odobescu, communist municipal councillor, and also chairman of the Building Committee within the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC), told Info-Prim Neo that the incumbent leadership of the mayoralty is “weak; it starts things, but never finishes them”. Odobescu claims that the City Hall expends too much public funds without informing the CMC beforehand, as the legislation requires. The communist councillor also blames the mayoralty for improperly preparing the materials intended for the CMC sessions; often the councillor face 60-70 draft decisions they have never seen before. As Odobescu claims, there are petitioners who are awaiting CMC decisions for years, while the others are given prior attention because someone secures a speedy entry for their draft decisions to the CMC. Victor Odobescu states that this year the local authorities have paid little attention to roadworks, given that many roads are in a deplorable state. The wastewater treatment plant issue and other vital projects for Chisinau residents have also been neglected. At present, the Urban Bus Company encounters difficulties, as it is running at loss and might be privatised, says Odobescu. Councillor Odobescu is not very optimistic about the prospects for 2007, stating that “this is what we have”. [PPCD faction has some doubts too] Although Alexandru Corduneanu, PPCD faction leader, thinks the reform of the capital’s public administration is an accomplishment, he states that “reshuffling the municipality’s staff is not enough. The administration has to be improved as well”. The councillor says local authorities should account for their actions in front of the capital’s residents, and not before “the so called superiors”. Referring himself to other aspects of the city’s life, Corduneanu complained about the state of the “cultural affairs”, because a strategy “in what concerns the Romanian cultural phenomenon”, is lacking. The CMC Christian democrat leader says that the PPCD faction might come up with numerous proposals in this respect, “which will be hard to refuse”. When asked whether the faction will manage to implement its ambitious plans till the local elections are held, Corduneanu said that “PPCD doesn’t live from poll to poll. We see things in perspectives, including urban design, overcoming traffic jams, and people’s perception of feeling at home”. The year 2007, says PPCD faction leader, will be half confusing, because it is an electoral year. “It will be an image competition rather than a project-based work” sayd Corduneanu. [Independent councillors claim infringements] Independent councillor Mihai Severovan says that the year 2006 was marked by multiple infringements of land-related rules. Many of these bring to view the dominance of interest groups over urbanism rules. This is the reason why the Urbanism General Plan has to be implemented as soon as possible, a community law which will deter such violations further on, says Severovan. [“Ravnopravie” councillor blames Mayor for lack of progress] Councillor of the social-political movement “Ravnopravie” Valeri Climenco thinks that the most concerning event of the year in Chisinau is “the red-orange coalition’s attempt to close down the municipal stations Antena C and Euro TV”. Climenco believes that this year has favoured the impoverishment of the population, and blames what he calls the “red-orange coalition chaos” for destroying what we hold dear, for taking hold of goods, and for lobbying their parties’ representatives. “This year was a tough one; even if some roads were repaired, there are still numerous problems the capital city confronts with. Just a few meters from downtown, roads are full of pits, there is no sewerage, no public lights, and the residents are buried in waste”, says Climenco, adding that “the situation hasn’t changed much since Ursu took the chair.” As the councillor says, the biggest achievement of the incumbent administration of the City Hall is the reconstruction of the “Eternity” Memorial, although he finds shortcomings in this issue as well. He says the things built in a hurry and at a cost of one hundred million lei are now falling apart. Speaking about the prospects for 2007, Valeri Climenco hopes that the local administration will change after elections. “I trust that competent people will come to serve the citizens, who will care for this city and its residents, and will not rip off the capital, as it is happening nowadays”, added Climenco. [AMN faction says Mayor should be held responsible for expending public funds without CMC consent] AMN councillor Oleg Cernei told Info-Prim Neo that in this year interim Mayor Vasile Ursu has committed severe violations of the legislation, and suggested both the Centre for Economic Crimes and Corruption and the General Prosecution Office to handle them. According to Cernei, Ursu has expended over 200 million lei lacking prior projects, and without CMC consent, which is the sole distributor of public finances in the local administration. At the same time, says AMN councillor, Ursu loaned without CMC consent MDL 50 mln from the Banca de Economii bank for erecting the Eternity Memorial, for restoring Pan Halippa Street, and refitting the model-districts. At present, the Ministry of Finance refuses to cover this loan, claims Cernei, adding that Ursu’s expenditures surpass the amount allegedly embezzled, and indicted for, by the former leadership of the city hall. However, Cernei listed some positive things occurred in 2006, among which reparation of several roads, backed by the CMC, and the emergence of a small but solid team of municipal councillors, which confronts an entire army of councillors who come to the CMC sessions having given orders by the government party and Iurie Rosca in person, says Cernei. Referring himself to the next year, AMN councillor expressed hope that it would lead to changes, due to unified democratic forces, which would change things both in the country and in the capital city.