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Moldovan opposition leader announces launch of nationwide front

According to Ilan Sor, his supporters are forced to vacate their elective offices in power bodies due to the pressure from the pro-Western government in Chisinau

CHISINAU, December 1. /TASS/. Ilan Sor, the leader of Moldova’s opposition Victory bloc, has announced the establishment of a nationwide front to demand the resignation of the current government and the release of political prisoners.

"We are establishing a nationwide front to resist. Its first task is to get those who are persecuted by [Moldovan President Maia] Sandu’s supporters released from prisons. We will not abandon and forget our people. Task number two is to oust the regime," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Sor, his supporters are forced to vacate their elective offices in power bodies due to the pressure from the pro-Western government in Chisinau. "Our people’s representatives will have to resign and be relieved of their duties. I withdraw my political support. I have no right to risk their lives and freedom," he emphasized.

The Victory bloc was prevented from participating in Moldova’s parliamentary elections this year. Banning proceedings have been launched against its member parties: Victory, Revival, Chance, and Alternative and Salvation Force of Moldova.

Meanwhile, Sor’s supporters won top positions in the Gagauz autonomy and in a range of cities, as well as seats in local legislatures after the local elections in 2023.

The ban on the Victory bloc’s activity was initiated by Moldova’s ministry of justice, the Central Election Commission, and the Security and Intelligence Service, claiming that Sor’s participation in the bloc was a disguised continuation of the activities of his party, Sor, which in 2023 was accused of "sabotaging the country’s pro-European course" and outlawed. The bloc’s activists came under searches and arrests during the election campaign.

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