Opposition dissatisfied with Government’s new program

The candidate for Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi submitted the new program of the Government titled “Progress and Integration” to the Parliament for examination. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, a number of the MPs said they are not satisfied with the program. The nominal composition and program of the new Government is to be considered by the Parliament on March 31. Unaffiliated MP [Vitalia Pavlicenco, president of the National-Liberal Party (PNL)], stated for Info-Prim Neo that the new Government’s program should be named “Progress and European Integration”, not only “Progress and Integration”. “It is not clear what integration is meant. One day, we can find ourselves part of the Euro-Asian space or of the Russia-Belarus Union,” says Vitalia Pavlicenco. The MP considers that the unimplemented parts of the EU-Moldova Action Plan and the continuous monitoring of Moldova by the Council of Europe should be tackled in the new program. The PNL president says that the name of this progress speaks about a camouflage of the Moldovan politicians in relation with the Russian Federation, given that Russia is allergic at everything that is related to the EU, at European and North-Atlantic integration. Vitalia Pavlicenco said that it does not matter who will form part of the new Government. “This Government will continue to be compliant and obedient to the presidential advisers Marc Tkachuk and Oleg Reidman. It will be an electoral and repressive Government meant to ensure the victory of the Communist Party in elections at any cost and by populism,” the PLN president stressed. The MP considers that the Opposition cannot influence the appointment of the new Government members. The Opposition’s objections will not be decisive and the Government’s makeup would be quickly confirmed by the majority vote of the Communist MPs. According to the [president of the Social-Democratic Party Dumitru Braghis (PSD)], the proposed program is declarative and does not contain indicators that would show how the Government achieved the set objectives in time. Dumitru Braghis said that the new program practically does not include the initiatives that the Tarlev Government did not manage to carry out, like the program for alleviating poverty and raising the people’s welfare and the Moldovan Village program. Also, the Greceanyi Government suggests continuing the vicious practice in the social sphere, especially as regards the salaries and pensions, when the rich become richer and the poor poorer, the MP said. Asked to pronounce on the composition of the new Government, the PSD president said that he does not know yet who will form part of the cabinet proposed by Zinaida Greceanyi, but that its makeup will be approved without much fuss, to his mind. The unaffiliated MP [Vlad Filat, president of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM)], said that the program “Progress and Integration” says nothing about the European integration and about the relieving of poverty and insurance of the population’s wellbeing. “It is not a program, but only intentions presented in a short form,” Vlad Filat said. The document does not set out concrete measures that could contribute to the implementation of these intentions, he said. As to the composition of the new Government, the MP considers that there will not be major changes. “There will be only two or three new people. The rest will be former ministers or ministry officials, persons that have been directly involved and responsible for the activity of the former Government,” Vlad Filat said. The PLDM president is sure that the new cabinet will continue to be a Communist-type Government and will be “a Government meant to achieve the electoral goals of the Communists.” Vlad Filat says that he will not vote in favor of the composition and program of the Government. The Communists hold a comfortable majority in the Parliament and will approve the new makeup of the Government. They will be joined by at least two unaffiliated MPs. Vlad Filat said that Iurie Rosca’s position is in question. However, he is convinced that the PPCD leader could vote for the new composition of the Government. On the other hand, [the president of the Democratic Party Dumitru Diacov (PD)] considers that the proposed program is rather coherent and contains many up-to-date issues, including reforms on integration and business promotion. “The program is rather simple and accessible. It is a short-term program that cannot be sophisticated and strategic. What is important is whether there will be political will to implement this program,” Dumitru Diacov said. The PD president said that he does not know who will form the new Government, but the existent information is just speculation. The real list of candidates for the post of minister will be read by Zinaida Greceanyi from the Parliament’s rostrum, Dumitru Diacov said. The president of the Moldova Noastra Alliance Party (AMN) Serafim Urecheanu could not be found. The leader of the Christian Democratic People’s Party Iurie Rosca denied to comment on the issue. [Only some of the ministers will leave] According to the list of the future ministers presented to the MPs, which was read by Vlad Filat, Igor Dodon will be proposed for the post of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Trade, while Victor Stepaniuc and Andrei Stratan will be suggested for Deputy Prime Ministers. Andrei Stratan is also fielded for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. The new Government will include the following members of the Tarlev Government: Anatolie Gorodenco – Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Vasile Ursu – Minister of Transport and Road Management, Violeta Ivanov – Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Galina Balmos – Minister of Social Protection, Family and Child, Artur Cozma – Minister of Culture and Tourism, Vitalie Parlog – Minister of Justice, Vitalie Vrabie – Minister of Defense, Vasile Sova – Minister of Reintegration, Valentin Guznac – Minister of Local Public Administration. Among the new ministers could be Valentin Mejinschi (current head of the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime) – Minister of Internal Affairs, Mariana Durlesteanu (Moldova’s Ambassador to the UK) – Minister of Finance. Deputy Minister Pavel Bucearchi could be promoted to Minister of Information Development, while Deputy Minister Larisa Catrinici to Minister of Health. The university lecturer Larisa Savga, pro-rector of the Cooperative-Commercial University of Moldova, could become Minister of Education and Youth. The director of the Agency for Construction and Territorial Development Vladimir Baldovici could head the recently set up Ministry of Construction and Territorial Development. The Government could also include the two ex officio members – the governor of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia Mihail Formuzal and the president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova Gheorghe Duca. The mayor of Chisinau is not an ex officio member of the new Government.