Vlad Plahotniuc elected new leader of Moldovan Democratic Party

Chisinau, 24 December /MOLDPRES/ - The first deputy leader of Moldova’s Democratic Party (PDM), Vlad Plahotniuc, has been elected PDM leader. The decision was taken at the Democrats’ Congress today.  
The former PDM leader, Marian Lupu, gave up his mandate in December this year; yet, Lupu said that he remained in the Democrats’ team.  
“Opinions polls show that PDM record a significant increase against the years before. My goal is to carry out two important projects: PDM’s development and modernization of the country’s political establishment, as well as Moldova’s development. We need politicians who are to take courageous decisions to improve the people’s living. The best place PDM should occupy is the one close to people, a party providing concrete results, a party of action. We have a great potential. But for this, we must become the formation that will actively take over the people’s agenda and will implement it day by day. Moldova needs a worthy future, so that the citizens do not have to leave, but to lead a decent living at home, and me and my team will take do our utmost for this,” Plahotniuc said.  
Vlad Plahotniuc is 50 years old. In 1991, he graduated from the Moldovan Technical University with the diploma of engineer. In 2002, he got the title of Master in Business Administration at the same University, and in 2006, - the title of bachelor of laws at the University of European Studies from Moldova. In 2001-2010, Plahotniuc held the office of commercial director and then director general of Petrom Moldova stock company, dealing with the import and distribution of oil. Starting from 2005, Plahotniuc held the position of deputy chairman of the Administrative Board of the Commercial Bank Victoriabank, after which, in 2006, he became its president – a post which he exercised till 2011.      
On 30 December 2010, participants in the PDM National Political Council ruled to appoint Vlad Plahotniuc as deputy leader of the formation. On the same period, he held the position of parliament member; yet, Plahotniuc gave up his mandate of lawmaker. At the parliamentary polls from November 2014, he was again elected as MP and renounced his mandate in July 2015.     
Also today, Prime Minister Pavel Filip was appointed deputy leader of the Democrats.  
At the event, Prime Minister Pavel Filip handed over the Order of the Republic to the former Romanian prime minister, Victor Ponta; the distinction has been earlier awarded by President Nicolae Timofti. 
About 1,000 delegates participated in the eighth Congress of PDM, among whom Secretary General of the Socialist International Luis Ayala, Vice President of the Socialist International, head of the European Affairs Commission of the Romanian parliament, Victor Ponta; Sonja Lokar was attending the event on behalf of the Party of European Socialists. At the same time, more Social Democratic leaders from Georgia, Ukraine and Romania took part in the congress.
(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor M. Jantovan)