CHISINAU, February 1. /TASS/. Moldova’s opposition plans to resume protests after a week-long pause to call for early elections, the key demand backed at Friday’s civil forum in Chisinau, the leader of the Our Party Renato Usatii has told reporters.
"We discussed the proposals of the civil forum, the situation is clear. We need to increase pressure to achieve the implementation of demands that we will hand over to authorities today. These are not our demands but the demands of people," said Usatii, whose party has been protesting in downtown Chisinau jointly with the Party of Socialists and the Civil Platform DA (Dignity and Justice) for several months.
The protests will become "more persistent." "I ask all Moldovan citizens to be ready and to mobilize and we will come to the parliament as soon as the date for the first parliament session is announced. I’m sure the whole country will be with us," he said.
Meanwhile, the authorities do everything possible so that the first session of the parliament take place "as late as possible," the politician said. "They schedule this for mid-February or even for March."
"However, we have ready-made solutions how to force them to come to the parliament. We will go there with flowers. This is a symbol of sincerity, decency and transparency," Usatii said.
The party leader also said no more mass protests will be held at the weekends.
Igor Dodon, the leader of the Party of Socialists, said "the pressure on the authorities needs to be increased, but it should be absolutely peaceful without violence and entering the state buildings."
He stressed the civil forum also attended by Moldova’s non-governmental organizations called for holding early parliamentary elections, amending the Constitution and switching to direct elections of the president.
The committee has also called on EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn· to set up a mediating group that will contribute to launching the dialogue between the authorities and the opposition in Moldova and implementing reforms.
Mass protests began in Chisinau on January 20 when the opposition brought people to the streets to prevent the parliamentary majority formed around the Democratic Party from endorsing the new government of Pavel Filip. The protesters accused authorities that this majority had been established through blackmail and graft, Moldova’s mass media reported.
The new government was approved within six minutes as the MPs of the opposition’s socialist party blocked the parliament’s tribune and gave no chance to the candidate for the prime minister to present his program. The opposition supporters were angered by the move and decided to storm the parliament building. More than 30 people were injured in clashes with police, most of them law enforcers. The new government’s oath-taking ceremony was held hastily and some its members failed to attend it.