Protest against cancellation of new local elections held in Moldovan capital

Chisinau, 24 June /MOLDPRES/ - Thousands of people today came outside the Moldovan capital’s city hall, as well as to the Great National Assembly Square (PMAN), discontented about magistrates’ ruling not to validate the new local polls from Chisinau. The protesters demanded that the authorities validate the mandate of Andrei Nastase – the candidate who picked up most votes in the runoff of the elections.

The people who came to the protest shouted more slogans, among which ‘’we want the mayor we have voted for’’, ‘’our vote has been stolen’’ and flied flags of Moldova and EU. Demonstrations of solidarity with the Chisinau protest were announced also by the Diaspora from Italy, Germany, Romania, Spain and other European countries.

Andrei Nastase, as well as the leader of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), Maia Sandu, gave speeches at the protest. Sandu urged the demonstrators to protest peacefully, stressing that, only being united, the protesters would be able to win a fair decision by the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice. ‘’We ask you to be attentive at what is happening and not let ourselves provoked and divided. We have a single goal – the honest people should live well both in the capital and all over the country,’’ Sandu said.    

Andrei Nastase thanked the citizens who came to the protest to support. ‘’I thank you for you being here. I was sure that there will not be a few of us. I urge you to call relatives, neighbours, friends to come here, as it is not only about a mandate of Mayor, it is about the future of our country!’’ Andrei Nastase said.

An MP of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), Maria Ciobanu, also came up with a speech at the protest. She showed discontent with the work of judges. Opinion leaders, political analysts, writers and young people came on stage to set forth their opinions.   

The today’s protest was announced, after magistrates of the Chisinau-based Court of Appeal had maintained the ruling by the Chisinau Centru Court, according to which the local polls from the Moldovan capital were declared invalid.

The decision by the first instance court was pronounced on 21 June. If the results of the new local polls are not validated by the Supreme Court of Justice either, the office of Chisinau mayor will be exercised by the present acting mayor till the locals polls due in 2019.  

(Reporter A. Zara, editor L. Alcaza)