Several thousand people, members and supporters of the Party of Socialists, on September 24 demonstrated concomitantly in three towns: Anenii Noi, Balti and Cahul. The participants adopted a resolution whereby they requested to initiate a signature collection campaign for changing the form of government from parliamentary republic into a presidential one. They also asked that the President should be given more powers so that he is able to dissolve Parliament and early legislative elections are held, IPN reports.
Chairwoman of the Party of Socialists Zinaida Grecheanyi said the people came together in three areas of the country to protest because they support the President’s initiatives. “We want the Head of State to be able to dissolve Parliament. We want a presidential republic with you. We will go from home to home and will ask the people if they support the President of the Republic of Moldova and I think the answer will be the same – yes. We must go against those who want to liquidate the Republic of Moldova,” she stated.
The head of the Socialist parliamentary group on the Chisinau Municipal Council Ion Ceban said the Party of Socialists intends to collect more than 70% of the signatures of the people eligible to vote in favor of switching over to the presidential republic. Moldova, being a small country, should be on friendly terms with all the states and it is a mistake to destabilize the relations with Russia when President Igor Dodon tries to restore them. “I suggest that we should state our support for our President and should plead for the establishment of a presidential republic,” Ion Ceban said, addressing the crowd in Anenii Noi.
“Today, September 24, the people were to state in a referendum if they want the number of MPs to be reduced and the law that makes the repayment of the stolen funds the people’s burden to be annulled, but they barred us from doing this. But this referendum will anyway be held, within the early elections,” said Socialist MP Vlad Batrancea.
On the stage in Cahul, Socialist MP Vladimir Turcan said these demonstrations are of protest, but also of support for the President and are aimed at warning the current government. “We came to express not only our disquiet, but also out concerns about the developments in the country. We demand to hold a referendum because this is the only solution for the people to take part in the administration of the state,” he noted.
According to the Socialists, if new attempts to remove the President or to settle the Transnistrian conflict by force are made, they will come together at a Great National Assembly if the President convenes it and will go to the center of Chisinau to free the country from the anti-people and anti-state regime.
