CHISINAU, January 19. /TASS/. Moldova’s Party of Socialists will insist on resignation of Chisinau’s Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca whom they accuse of "corruption and unprofessionalism," Ion Ceban, the leader of the party’s faction in the Chisinau legislature, said on Tuesday.
"The system of corruption created by Chirtoaca in the Chisinau administration has led to a tragedy in a restaurant when dozens of people were hurt in a gas explosion," he said and called on the mayor to follow the lead of Romanian officials who had resigned after a disastrous fire in the Colectiv night club.
Ceban said Socialists planned to set up an investigation commission to expose and punish those responsible for the accident at the city’s central marketplace.
Under the current law, a newly elected mayor cannot be sent to resignation within one year after taking office. This term however expires in June, Ceban noted. "To initiate a referendum via the municipal council, we will need to enroll support from 34 out of 51 advisers, so, we will start negotiations with all," he said, adding that a referendum may be initiated with the support from ten percent of voters in the city.
A gas explosion shook Chisinau’s biggest marketplace in the center of the city on January 2. The shock wave broke windows in neighboring buildings and caused panic. The authorities had to evacuate people from adjacent shops and offices. Twenty people were hurt, with about ten receiving severe burns. One died later in hospital.