In the program “Reply” broadcast by Prime TV channel on September 30, 2018, the MP of the Democratic Party of the Republic of Moldova (PDM) Eugen Nikiforchuk said the government’s intention is to cover most of the roads in the Republic of Moldova with asphalt during the next three-four years. The given statement perfectly matches the pro-Moldova pre-electoral reorientation campaign of the PDM. It is designed to assure the people that the PDM will remain in power after the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019, no matter in what formula. In this regard, the pre-electoral élan of MP Nikiforchuk becomes more prominent when he says that “there will be created a modern, European infrastructure with extensively repaired roads so as to increase traffic and transit on these roads and those who want to invest in localities could travel on good roads. If we abide by these formulations, we will manage to implement the project “Good Roads 2” that I’m sure will continue in a year, two or three years.”
It is good that MP Eugen Nikiforchuk and the party he represents, PDM, look into the future and make plans in this regard. The legitimate question is how credible the PDM can be in front of the people’s, voters’ eyes? To answer this question, we should see how the PDM’s campaign of 2014 – We grow Moldova!- in 2018 is turned into the pro-Moldova campaign! For the purpose, we should only look at the PDM’s electoral program of 2014 and will see how the party intended to grow Moldova: THE PDM INVESTS IN THE COUNTRY’S ROADS AND IN SAFE TRIPS! Certainly, in the case of safe trips, we can ascertain that the PDM made progress through the project of the vice president of the PDM Andrian Candu – fastened safety belt! We can even say that President Igor Dodon could convince himself of the utility of the given campaign on September 9, 2018. The other promises made by the PDM in 2014 remain disputable. In this regard, before making electoral promises for the next three-four years, the PDM should say which of the promises of 2014 were delivered. In particular, it should relate about: a) the building of bypassing highways for Chisinau municipality and at least ten district centers; b) modernization of at least 500 km of national roads; c) modernization of the train pool; d) rehabilitation and modernization of railroads; e) electrification of railroads; f) putting into circulation of a speedy train that would connect Moldova to Romania and Ukraine; g) opening of navigation on the Prut etc.
After we received an extensive answer as to the promises made in 2014, we could start to implement the PDM project Good Roads for Moldova. However, as to the good roads, we should know that these are being built and repaired with money collected from vehicle owners through road taxes and taxes included in the price of fuel. The fact that the resources collected into the Road Fund are used strictly for the prescribed destination is something good, but we should discuss the quality of the good roads after a winter season with heavy precipitation followed by frosts and melting. This will be the exact text that, before the elections of February 24, 2019, will speak about the quality of the 1,600 kilometers of good roads. As to good roads – 2 that are planned to be 2,600 km in length, the PDM should inform the citizens about eventual rises in road taxes and fuel prices.
In conclusion, we could say that before the elections all the politicians behave similarly. In this regard, Bismarck’s observation – People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt – is universal. Surely, in new times new people do the same. In old times, the good intentions paved the way to hell. Currently, the roads are paved seldom. They are principally asphalted, but also starting from good intentions. There are a series of countries with good and even very good roads, but also with political regimes from which the people run away massively. That’s why we should not fall into the politicians’ traps.
IPN Experts