VLAD PLAHOTNIUC ELECTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL

The Chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova, the ‘Executive Coordinator’ of the Moldovan ruling coalition Vlad Plahotniuc was elected Vice-President of the Socialist International by decision of the Congress of this global organization being held in Cartagena (Columbia) on March 2-4.

According to the DPM headquarters, the election took place without Plahotniuc. The Moldovan party, which has been a full-right member of the Socialist International since 2012, is being represented at the forum by Honorable Chairman of the Democratic Party MP Dumitru Diacov and Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari.

On the congress’ sidelines, the Moldovan Democrats have already met with colleagues from Belgium, Romania, Finland, Israel, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Panama, with whom they discussed situation in Moldova and questions of security on the world and regional levels.

The congress, hosted by the Liberal Party of Columbia, is being held under the slogan of “For Peace, Solidarity and Equal Rights”. It has gathered 350 delegates from 86 countries.

In February 2017, the Democratic Party of Moldova organized in Chisinau a sitting of the Socialist International’s Committee for CIS, Caucasus and Black Sea Countries, which was attended by the Organization’s Secretary General Luis Ayala. The Committee discussed the promotion in this region of a Social Democratic program based on economic development and on ensuring peace, democracy and people’s freedom.

“The Democratic Party of Moldova is remaining committed to the European project of Moldova’s development. But we realize that the country modernization largely depends first and foremost on the changes to take place inside the state. For this reason, the DP focuses on the idea of reforming the Moldovan political class. We believe that Moldova citizens need a more experienced and responsible political class. Our compatriots are expecting much from us because we are the main governing party in the country. We have undertaken to realize an ambitious governance program and we have demonstrated by achieved results that we are capable of meeting the expectations of our citizens. We will be further governing the country in such sober, clear-cut and efficient manner”, stated Vlad Plahotniuc at the Committee meeting.

Renato Usatii, Partidul Nostru [Our Party] leader and the Mayor of Balti city, who has been hiding in Moscow from what he calls “the Plahotniuc justice” since August 2016, believes that Vlad Plahotniuc “has bought out for himself the post of a Vice-President of the Socialist International to thus acquire a secure status at a high international level to thus have the possibility to travel abroad not just as the leader of a party but as a Vice-president of a prestigious international organization”.

Infotag’s dossier: Socialist International is the worldwide organization of social democratic, socialist and labor parties. It currently brings together 153 political parties and organizations from all continents. The Socialist International, whose origins go back to the early international organizations of the labor movement, has existed in its present form since 1951, when it was re-established at the Frankfurt Congress. Since then it has been increasingly active and grown considerably in membership, more than doubling the number of its members in recent years. Labor, social democratic and socialist parties are now a major political force in democracies around the world, with numerous member parties of the International leading governments or representing the main opposition force. Currently, 53 member parties of the Socialist International are in government. Headquartered in London, the Socialist International is headed by President George Papandreou (since 2006). In 1989, the Organization marked its 100th anniversary.