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Friend of Transdniestria, too? Hillary Clinton cites "independence and democracy" as reasons why Kosovo should be free

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Tiraspol Times) - A United States Senator and current candidate for that country's Presidential nomination is invoking the democratic right to self-determination in support of statehood for self-declared countries, citing the recent unilateral independence declaration of Kosovo as an example.

" - I've supported the independence of Kosovo because I think it is imperative that in the heart of Europe we continue to promote independence and democracy," Hillary Clinton said at a recent Democratic Party debate in Austin, Texas.

The wife of former U.S. President Bill Clinton is a candidate for the nomination for the Presidency herself on behalf of the Democratic Party, one of America's two ruling political parties.

In a statement released just days before, she referred to Kosovo by the Albanian "Kosova" and said independence "will allow the people of Kosova to finally live in their own democratic state. It will allow Kosova and Serbia to finally put a difficult chapter in their history behind them and to move forward."

Her words were applauded in Transdniestria where its 550,000 people also want to be allowed to live in their own democratic state. Like the Kosovars, they too want independence that will allow Transdniestria and Moldova to "finally put a difficult chapter in their history behind them and move forward."

Hillary's words echo in Transdniestria

There are few in Transdniestria who are opposed to independence, and they support independence because - like Hillary Clinton - they think it is imperative that independence and democracy is supported in this other part of Europe.

The only criticism which Clinton had for the current State Department was that it had taken "so long for us to reach this historic juncture." This, too, is a criticism which is echoed in Tiraspol and other parts of de-facto independent Transdniestria: Why have we waited 18 long years in legal limbo, ask locals who can not understand why their own country is getting shunned by the United States and others in the West, while Kosovo - with far less to show in terms of a successful, functional statehood - has already gotten recognition from nearly two dozen countries.

" - If Hillary Clinton really supports independence and democracy for us, as Europeans like we are, then I will support her," says Viktoria, 35, a checkout clerk in a supermarket in Rybnitsa, the third largest city of Transdniestria (official name: Pridnestrovie. Also known as Transnistria in the Romanian language, and as Trans-Dniester in English).

" - At its most basic, democracy is about allowing us who live here to choose our own future for ourselves. If we don't want to be part of Moldova, then that is up to us to decide, and no one else."

See also:
» Freedom and the right to self-determination not just for Americans, says Bush [1]
» US Defense chief hails self-determination and "the right to choose their own destiny" [2]
» Conflict can be resolved by the creation of a separate state: Condoleezza Rice [3]
» U.S. Congressman points to double standards over Transdniestria, Kosovo [4]