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Moldovan president refuses to meet protest leaders

Instead, presidential adviser Vasile Sturza and press secretary Vlad Turcanu came out to talk to the protesters’ representatives

CHISINASU, September 9 /TASS/. Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti has refused to meet the protest movement leaders who gathered outside his residence in Chisinau on Wednesday.

Instead, presidential adviser Vasile Sturza and press secretary Vlad Turcanu came out to talk to the protesters’ representatives, Vasile Nastase, one of the leaders of the Civic Platform of Dignity and Truth (DA), told journalists.

"His behavior is outrageous. We are seriously concerned that the president is not appearing in public and on television and is refusing to talk to anybody. We are worrying for his health. If he behaves himself this way, he has nothing else to do than to step down. We are going to insist on his resignation," Nastase went on to say.

He said that the DA leaders would come to the government building on Wednesday evening to meet the leaders of the three parties forming the Alliance for European Integration ruling coalition: the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party.

For his part, presidential spokesperson Vlad Turcanu told journalists that Timofti was open to dialogue but had not thought of the agenda of a possible meeting with the protest leaders yet. He suggested they prepare their own agenda and send it to the president for consideration.

Earlier, President Timofti and Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet turned down the protesters’ demand to step down. They explained that their resignation could destabilize the situation in Moldova.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in central Chisinau last Sunday. The leaders of the Civic Platform of Dignity and Truth (DA), who organized the protest, demanded the resignation of Moldovan leadership; early parliamentary elections and replacement of the law enforcement leaders. They set up a tent camp in the city center and pledged to stay on until their demands were met.