RULING DP UNDERTAKES "COMMITMENTS TO MOLDOVA"

"Commitments to Moldova" is the name of the document adopted last Sunday at the massive manifestation organized by the ruling Democratic Party in the country's central Great National Assembly Square. The organizers called their undertaking a "National Assembly of the Democratic Party" and announced afterwards that it had been attended by 100 thousand people.

The document says that the citizens who have signed it "will unite their country-development efforts with the incumbent nation leadership to ensure a better future for Moldova, and are undertaking the following commitments":

1. Support for the Democratic Party's political orientation "Pro-Moldova". "We believe that it expresses best of all the Moldovans' national interests and that it is the most effective strategic approach for Moldova. The Democratic Party's efforts in all spheres must first and foremost take the Moldovan people's interests into account", said the document.

2. Further support for the Government. "Over its 1,000 days, the Government has achieved a considerable economic growth and a substantial increase of Budget revenues, and citizens have benefitted from grown salaries and pensions, various payments and social allowances", wrote the Commitments authors.

3. Support for already started or recently announced programs of modernization of Moldova - "Good Roads for Moldova", "The First House", the Rescue Service 112, the program of renovation of schools and kindergartens, the Program "Good Water for Moldova", meal tickets, One Window [for registering all documents necessary for starting a business], and the Chisinau Arena construction.

4. Support for the Democratic Party's policy in the spheres of education, infrastructure development and the judiciary, and for the demand to attract yet more resources for the development of these sectors.

5. Continuation of efforts to implement the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and support for the Western model of development. "We are calling on the political class to fix the irreversibility of the Moldova modernization process", wrote the Commitments authors.

6. Support for the Democratic Party leadership during the selection of candidates for participation in the February 24, 2019 parliamentary election. The document authors have expressed confidence that "these will be the Party's best people".

7. The commitment "to tell the people about the Democratic Party's deeds". "We believe that our Party will fulfill its duty of governing the country. We are convinced that fulfilled promises are the best guarantees of the seriousness of the Program we are preparing for the next 4 years", said the document.

The rally participants came into the central square will numerous uniformly manufactured posters containing slogans, appeals, names of the DP pre-election programs etc. such as "Moldova!", "Good Roads for Moldova!", Good deeds for Moldova!", "The First House".

During the rally, its participants were chanting now and again "Moldova!", "The Democratic Party!" They were waving DP flags and state flags of the Republic of Moldova, but not a single European Union flag was noticed throughout the event. The participants were obviously reluctant to applaud to speeches or to chant slogans, and many provincials just listened to opening addresses, after which went away to visit Chisinau markets, relatives etc.

During the DP rally, a group of opponents tried to stage a counter-protest action. They gathered near the Arch of Triumph [at the edge of the Chisinau central square, right tete-a-tete the main tribune] and unfolded a big anti-DP poster. When DP leader Vlad Plahotniuc began his speech, the protesters started crying "Down with Plahotniuc", "Shame" and the like. The police forced the protesters out of the rally area, but did not detain anybody.