Members of new government take oath

Chisinau, 21 January /MOLDPRES/- The members of the new government took oath before President Nicolae Timofti on 20 January evening closer to the midnight. 

The event took place during a closed ceremony at the State Residence and was guarded by hundreds of policemen. 

According to the presidential press service, at the ceremony of swearing in office of the Filip cabinet, the head of state conveyed a message to the ministers. In his speech, the president voiced hope that the new government would be able to manage with competence and ability the difficult situation Moldova was facing at present. 

Also, the head of state appealed to calm, to avoid violence, which, as the president said, ''will not be useful to anybody.'' 

On 20 January afternoon, the MPs gave a vote of confidence to the government led by Pavel Filip. The new cabinet of ministers was sworn in at a meeting that lasted half an hour, and was backed by 57 lawmakers out of 68 ones present in the session hall. Also on 20 January, thousands of backers of the Dignity and Truth Platform, Party of Socialists (PSRM) and the party led by Renato Usatii protested outside the parliament building and demanded the MPs do not vote a government led by a Democratic Party member, Pavel Filip, and opt for snap elections. Following the swearing in office of the cabinet, the protesters demanded cancellation of the vote. Subsequently, the protests degenerated, with more policemen pushed and wounded and the lateral doors of the parliament building were deteriorated. 

(Reporter A. Zara, editor M. Jantovan)