Representatives of the Coalition “Voice of the Roma” (CVR) said the problem of inclusion cannot be solved without the direct participation of the Roma. They expressed their discontent with the composition of the working group constituted by the Premier to implement the program for the support of the Roma population in the Republic of Moldova for 2022-2025. According to them, this group does not include members of the Roma community that is represented by the 35 NGOs that form part of the CVR. They noted the mimicking of the solving of the problem of inclusion directly contributes to injustice.
In a news conference staged by IPN, CVR executive director Marin Alla said the Republic of Moldova has a legal framework that tries to visualize the inclusion of the Roma. Not long ago, there was approved the program for the support of the Roma population in the Republic of Moldova for 2022-2025. But the document wasn’t probably coordinated correctly and wasn’t finalized so that it does not take into account the views and wishes of Roma civil society. Moreover, a working group was constituted recently to implement the program, but this does not include Roma people.
Marin Alla said the decision adopted at Government level should be reviewed as the selected experts do not represent the Roma community and do not have the necessary competence. “We do not agree with the way in which the nine experts were chosen to work on this group. We think this is injustice towards the Roma community,” stated the Coalition’s director, noting the CRV was a partner in the designing of the program.
“We want the Republic of Moldova to develop and to become part of the European Union. But when we say that we want this, everything should be transparent and directed. We, the Coalition “Voice of the Roma”, complain about this and want such decisions to no longer be taken as they need to be constructive and consulted with the Roma group in Moldova. This instrument, the program for the support of the Roma population in the Republic of Moldova, should enable to turn the negative things into positive ones,” stated Marin Alla.
According to him, the authorities, including Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița, should realize that the decision concerning the composition of the group of experts is not right. “We must be consulted for this decision to enable the Roma to take part in the implementation of the new program for the support of the Roma population in the Republic of Moldova and in the related decision-making process,” said the Coalition’s director.
Valeriu Căldăraru, executive director of the National Association of Community Mediators that is part of the CVR, noted that saying that this decision angered Roma civil society is to say the least. He criticized the program for the support of the Roma population, saying that the main proposals formulated by the Roma during the designing process weren’t taken into account. “In this case, we see the attitude of the central public authorities that ignore us as civil society. I said and repeat that we are those who worked hand in hand, meeting after meeting, online, live. We came together to consult all the state institutions so as to together design a good document that could be implemented. The authorities’ intention not to implement this program that is only a “check mark” for the international institutions is evident. There is the umbrella – the Collation “Voice of the Roma” - that incorporates 35 Roma NGOs. Why don’t they discuss with this umbrella? Why is this umbrella directly avoided? Or the state institutions needed the CVR only in the consultation process to show that they work with the Roma or for us to offer them relevant information?” asked Valeriu Căldăraru.
The conference forms part of the series of conferences held as part of IPN News Agency’s project “Support for the Justice Reform through multimedia coverage of cases of alleged injustice”. The Agency does not bear responsibility for the public statements made in the public sphere by the organizers of news conferences. IPN News Agency gives the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.