Moldovan parties supporting Customs Union course may be banned

World October 15, 2014, 21:30

The country's Constitution Court declared any political course different from European integration unconstitutional

CHISINAU, October 15. /TASS/. A mere month and a half prior to the parliamentary election in Moldova, the country’s Constitution Court has laid the legislative grounds for banning the political parties that call for Moldova’s accession to the Eurasian Customs Union, which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia at the moment.

Leader of the Moldovan Socialist Party Igor Dodon revealed the information to TASS on Wednesday as he commented on Wednesday’s ruling of the Constitution Court, which declares any political course different from “European integration” to be unconstitutional.

“The Constitutions Court has thus laid the groundwork for banning the political parties that speak in support of membership of the Customs Union,” said Dodon, whose party promulgates the idea of Moldova joining the Customs Union.

“If the authorities use the decision to ban whatever opposition parties and organizations, the rank-and-file people will take to city squares and the situation in this country will explode,” he said. “I hope they realize it.”

Opinion polls indicate the Socialists have fair chances to get to parliament as a result of the forthcoming parliamentary election that has been scheduled for November 30.

Dodon accused the Communist Party, which petitioned to the Constitution Court to verify the legitimacy of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement, of conspiracy with country’s ruling Pro-European Coalition.

“This was either conspiracy or a grave political mistake, since everyone knew in advance what sort of a verdict the arbiters would pass, as most of them have citizenship of neighboring, paradoxically enough,” Dodon said. “However, this ruling perfectly falls in line with an array of previous ruling that targeted Moldova’s statehood.”

“Suffice it to recall a recent interpretation the arbiters gave to the Constitutional provision of the state language,” he said. “The basic law says unambiguously it’s the Moldovan language, and yet the arbiters named ruled that the state language is Romanian.”

MPs representing the Democratic, Liberal and Liberal Democratic Parties, which make up the Pro-European Coalition, supported the ratification of the Association Agreement by parliament but the most recent opinion polls show the Republic of Moldova is split on the issue and the number of citizens speaking in support for membership of the Customs Union is clearly bigger than those who advocate integration in the EU.

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