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Moldova protests

Moldovan opposition activist says president refused to meet with protesters

Renato Usatii said he got the information form the president's advisors

Renato Usatii AP Photo/Roveliu Buga

Renato Usatii

© AP Photo/Roveliu Buga

CHISINAU, December 14. /TASS/. Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti has refused to meet with the members of the opposition Our Party who have staged a rally outside his residence in Chisinau.

"Timofti has refused to hold the meeting, he does not want to leave his office as he believes this will only deepen the political crisis in the country. His advisors have told me this," said the party’s leader and mayor of the country's second largest city of Balti, Renato Usatii.

The president is reportedly ready to discuss the opposition’s plan on solving the crisis in the country, he added.

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"Our president is not an independent politician, he is governed by oligarchs. That’s why we have nothing to discuss with him. Moldova is a state seized by a group of people. That’s why we insist on early elections to the parliament. The easiest way to achieve this is the resignation of Timofti," said Usatii, whose party is the most popular in the country according to opinion polls.

The head of Our Party told his supporters he plans to suspend protests for the New Year holidays.

"Timofti would be glad to resign, but he is not allowed to do this, that’s why he needs help. We will then hold one strong rally and end up with this. We need to choose the right moment," the politician said.

Moldova has been hit by anti-government protests for a third month in a row. The protesters have set up tents in downtown Chisinau and call for punishing those involved in the high-profile scandal over embezzling $1 billion from the banking system and holding early elections to the parliament.

The situation deteriorated after former Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who is the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, the core of the pro-European coalition, was arrested on corruption-related charges in mid-October.

The parliament later voted for the resignation of the government of Valeriu Strelet, also of the Liberal Democratic Party.

The resignation of the cabinet triggered collapse of the ruling Alliance For European Integration, which comprised the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic and Liberal Parties.

The leaders of the three parties have been in talks on creating a new coalition for a second month already but have failed to agree on this despite the pressure from the representatives of the EU and the US, who have urged Moldova to continue the policy of pro-European integration.

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