Violence in Chisinau served only the ones in power: Romanian President

“The violence acts in Chisinau, including the devastation of some buildings, did not serve the demonstrators, neither the political opposition. They exclusively served the ones who provoked them and made them possible, that is the ones holding onto power now,” Romanian President Traian Basescu told the joined chambers of the Romanian Parliament. Traian Basescu underlined the access of the demonstrators into the headquarters of the Moldovan Parliament and Presidency was not possible without the permission of the Moldovan authorities. “I repeat the authorities permitted the access of the protesters into the state's institutions,” Basescu said. The Romanian President declared himself concerned with the reprisals and the gross violations of the human rights in Moldova. “Kidnapping people, abusive arrests, threats, terrorizing the citizens, fabricating dossiers, probes without securing legal assistance,” Traian Basescu specified. He considers the Moldovan authorities' abuses against media speak about a feeling of illegitimacy and non-representativeness. Traian Basescu condemned the threat to use weapons, “announced by certain key leaders from Chisinau.” “We draw your attention that using weapons against civilians, among which there also are Romanian citizens, is a crime,” he said. Basescu declined Romania's involvement in the events in Chisinau. He said by externalizing Moldova's problems, accusing Romania, the Moldovan authorities try to make the Romanians responsible for the economic, political and social hardships Moldova passes through. “It's not Romania who's responsible for the failure in democratizing Moldova, but it's ones who drag it back to the Communist, Soviet past,” Traian Basescu. Basescu says Romania will ask for a European inquest to establish the responsibility “for the reprisals of these days” as “expelling journalists, violating the human rights, the accusations in the address of the Romanian state.” In case “the oppressive measures go on , Romania will try and help the ones whose life and physical integrity are threatened,” by measures of humanitarian assistance. Basescu mentioned article 7 of the Romanian Constitution which obliges Romania to support the people from Moldova “who consider themselves Romanians and feel like Romanians.” Traian Basescu has asked the Romanian Government to urgently modify the law on Romanian citizenship, so that Moldovans be able to rapidly regain the Romanian citizenship. In the opinion of the analyst Iulian Chifu, Traian Basescu's speech was excessively diplomatic, “especially not to offer ground for hard words.” The Romanian President's stance comes after the Moldovan authorities accused Romania and its secret services over involvement in the violent acts from Chisinau.