 | THE OPPOSITION is a majority in parliament. Now pro-government parties are taking to the streets to try to win back voter support. [more] |  | | |  | FREE TRADE with the rest of the world has been banned for over a year. Failing to reach its goal, many now see the move as Moldova's worst mistake. [more] |
| ||||||
Moldovans protest dictatorship after new wave of arrests
Activists shouting "Down with Dictatorship" took to the streets of Moldova's capital Wednesday but were held back by police. The protest was caused by the arrest of two leaders of a group in favor of re-unification with Romania. Moldova, but not Transdniestria, was part of Romania in the past.
Pro-Romanian protest groups are not allowed to demonstrate in front of Moldova's Interior Ministry (shown)CHISINAU (Tiraspol Times) - Shouting “Down with the dictatorship,” supporters of the Union's Council of Moldova ("Sfatul Unirii" in Romanian) protested on Wednesday, 9 April, in front of the Moldovan Ministry of Interior.
Just seconds after the protest began, four people dressed in civilian clothes appeared on the scene and ordered the breakup of the protest. According to news agency Info-Prim Neo, the plainclothesmen did not produce any IDs, but said they were representatives of the Ministry of Domestic Affairs.
- Civil society leaders arrested
One of the organizers, Ghenadie Brega, said that the people took to the streets after police arrested two organizers of a previous meeting held to mark the anniversary of Moldova unification with Romania. Moldova, but not Transdniestria, was part of Romania until 1940.
" - We get up this protest meeting to see if anything has changed in the police management’s manners, or everything remained under Papuc’s influence," another protest participant Vasile Costiuc was quoted as saying.
Gheorghe Papuc was fired from his job as the the minister of the interior of Moldova ten days ago after three of his subordinates were arrested for alleged ties to heroin smuggling and after he was suspected of personal involvement as well.
Regular Moldovans now believe that the new head of the Ministry, Valentin Mejinschi, is even worse than predecessor Gheorghe Papuc.
" - The new Interior Minister only executes orders come from above, because the central authorities are disturbed by street protests," one of the protesters, Anatol Hristea-Stan, told reporters.
- In favor of reunification
The Union's Council of Moldova ("Sfatul Unirii") is one of several civil society groups in Moldova who give voice to the wish of those citizens who want their country to once again be reunited with neighboring Romania.
The Moldovan government is opposed to re-unification with Romania, although the two states used to be one single country in the past and share a common language. Surveys show that a growing number of Moldovan voters are in favor of rejoining Romania.
Whereas Moldova's government prefers independence for its territory, it is opposed to allowing Transdniestria the same right. This is despite the fact that Transdniestria has never been a formal part of Moldova in the past, and has a different historical and ethnic background. (With information from Info-Prim Neo)
See also:
» Chisinau organizations support merger with Romania; calling Moldova "failed state"
» Moldova's top police officer accused of involvement in heroin smuggling ring
» Human rights activist jailed in Moldova; radio station silenced
| more about moldova | |||||
| |||||
Government complicity is the main reason why Moldova for the first time has been put on the human trafficking blacklist. Moldova is the only European country on the worst-offenders list, revealed on Wednesday by the American government. Nations on the list could face sanctions, including the withholding of some aid by the United States. . . 
