​PROTESTERS DEMAND RESIGNATION OF AUTHORITIES AND THREATEN WITH MASSIVE PROTESTING

The participants in the last Sunday’s protesting in Chisinau's central square demanded immediate resignation of the incumbent authorities, return of the 17 billion lei (some US$1 billion) stolen from three Moldovan banks, and threatened with further actions of protest and “other, tougher measures”.The rally organizers, the Civil Platform “Demnitate si Adevar” [DA, “Dignity and Justice”], are saying the event gathered more than 40 thousand people in the capital city, but the police are saying – not more than 20 thousand.

Journalist Vasile Nastase stated from the rostrum that the country’s power is the country’s people, not the politicians who after April 5, when the Civil Platform was marking an anniversary of April 2009 events, were discussing in secrecy the outlawing of the Platform.

In his words, the DA is an organization of the grassroots, “who will drive this criminal power out and will force the thieves to return the billions they have siphoned off and remitted to Russia and to various structures. The people [of Moldova] will demand resignations of prosecutors, judges and other officials related to the criminal activities of the authorities and to the money stealing. Resignation!”

He stressed that the people [of Moldova] are not just demanding resignation of the authorities, first and foremost of Vlad Filat and Vlad Plahotniuc, but are also presenting them with an ultimatum: either their return the stolen money and tender resignations, or they will receive mass-scale and prolonged actions of protest and tougher measures – non-payment of taxes and setting up of a special commission to investigate into the authorities’ violations.

Journalist Chiril Motpan stated it is disgusting to watch what the authorities do and to see that those very forces, which promised a bright European future to Moldova, “are now marching hand in hand with enemies”.

DA activist Alex Cozer, a journalist, said that a few days before, “Vlad Plahotniuc and his servants received an official invitation to come and take part in this peaceful action of protest, but none of them has come. They are afraid to come and hear that the people are Moldova itself. Plahotniuc, don’t forget that your home is prison”.

The rally adopted a resolution saying that the assembly demands publication of the Kroll agency’s investigation into the huge stealing from Moldovan banks; resignations of the incumbent authorities and the heads of the agencies that permitted the siphoning off billions from the Moldovan banks; prohibition of political propaganda and control over the mass media.

The protesters also threatened that if only the authorities don't hear them, they will set up tents before the buildings of the Parliament and Government and will not let the authorities work.

After the rally, the protesters marched along the city’s main street to the Parliament and then to the National Anti-Corruption Center.

The rally was attended also by activists of the pro-Romania movement Tinerii Moldovei [The Young of Moldova].