Moldovan PM meets protesters from Chisinau central square

Chisinau, 10 September /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet today presented the government's reply to the protesters' petition and informed that he would not resign. The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the meeting, stressing that they would continue to demand resignation of the top leadership.

The prime minister came to the meeting with the protesters' council with a well-structured answer to all social requirements and gave guarantees that other thefts from the banking system or the insurances one would no longer occur. He described as "irresponsible and dangerous the appeal on ceasing the financial assistance for budgetary support on behalf of development partners, as this might deepen the financial crisis in Moldova."

"Analyzing claims of the document, we draw the conclusion that most formulated demands are beyond the competence of the government. We consider that a possible resignation of the present government could take place only if the parliament gives a vote of no confidence. The AIE 3 (Alliance for European Integration 3) government will not resign for the following reasons: the problems we face are too complicated and complex; the consequences would be too serious, if these problems are left unsettled, and the chain reaction could trigger an irreversible systemic crisis. An eventual resignation would represent an act of betrayal in relation to the citizens who voted the AIE parties on 30 November 2014 and too many hostile forces are looking forward to destabilization and power vacuum, in order to divert the country from our strategic path of European integration", he said.

At the same time, the prime minister noted that the government guaranteed and backed the right to freedom of assembly.

The representatives of protesters asked the prime minister about the stolen money, and how such a robbery had been permitted. They pointed out that, till the last protest from 6 September, citizens had had only social claims, but now, "tired of uncertainty," they wanted snap polls.

"Not talking about problems concerns us, but their settlement. Finding solutions is within the competence of the government. Why the head of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) has not been dismissed so far? Why the farmers' problem was not settled? They protest with us on the square", one of the protesters, Andrei Nastase, said.

The meeting lasted more than one hour, during which the prime minister and Deputy Prime Ministers Stephan Bride and Gheorghe Brega answered protesters' questions and informed on the actions due to be carried out by government.

On 6 September, thousands of citizens protested on the Great National Assembly Square against the current government. They demanded, in particular, finding the money stolen from the banking system and resignation of the top leadership.

(Reporter A. Zara editor M. Jantovan)