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Moldova protests

Pro-EU opposition to hold protest in downtown Moldovan capital

The previous demonstration on September 13 drew dozens of thousands of people

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

CHISINAU, October 4. /TASS/. Moldova’s Dignity and Truth (DA) Civil Platform, which urges the resignation of the country’s leadership and the creation of the new pro-European party, has called on its supporters to take to the streets in downtown Chisinau on Sunday.

"It is important for us to show that the protest movement is not only a constant but also a growing and spreading phenomenon. We expect the rally on October 4 to involve the maximum number of citizens," said one of the leaders of the group, Andrei Nastase.

The previous demonstration on September 13 drew dozens of thousands of people.

The protest leader said he fears that the authorities could try to disrupt the event and asked foreign embassies and international organizations to delegate their representatives there.

Read also

Moldova protesters threaten to enter parliament building if demands ignored

The leaders of the DA have earlier called on foreign diplomats to act as mediators in the dialogue with the authorities. However, they only met with the representatives of the European Union, Germany and the United States.

The US embassy said it backs the rights of Moldovan citizens to hold a peaceful protest and asked the country’s government to speed up the reforms and intensify the fight against corruption.

The head of the EU delegation to Moldova, Pirkka Tapiola, said earlier the political system of the republic is under the influence of personal interests that hamper the reforms.

Large-scale protests erupted in Moldova in the spring 2015 after mass media had reported a theft of about $1 billion from three Moldovan banks, which nearly went bankrupt. Back then, Moldova’s ruling Alliance for European Integration coalition came under severe criticism from foreign donors, including the European Union and the World Bank, which subsequently suspended their financing of the republic.

At first, the demonstrators insisted on a fair investigation. After a delay, they demanded the resignation of the top officials and holding early elections.

Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet and also the leaders of the ruling coalition dismissed the demands as radical. They also claimed it was highly likely that the left-wing parties could come to power that do not support Moldova’s EU integration.

The Moldovan capital is rocked by mass protests involving dozens of thousands of people almost every weekend. The center of Chisinau has turned into a tent camp of the two opposition parties and the DA Civil Platform.

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Moldova protests

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