​DUMITRU CIUBASENCO RESIGNS AS OP DEPUTY CHAIR BUT REMAINS IN PARTY

Dumitru Ciubasenco is resigning as a Deputy Chairman of the Partidul Nostru [Our Party, OP], but will remain a rank and file party member.

Speaking on the local television on Monday night, Ciubasenco explained that he is leaving his post due to the Party’s failure at the February 24 parliamentary election. In his words, that was his personal fault, too, and that he is also bearing responsibility for the OP’s failure to get to parliament and its inability to win at least a single victory in single-member constituencies.

“Now, over two months after the elections, OP Chairman Renato Usatii, who has been staying abroad since August 2016 to avoid victimization as several criminal litigations have been opened against him here, has offered his explanation to the situation”, said Dumitru Ciubasenco.

He cited the Chairman’s words that “many citizens saw exactly Renato Usatii in the Partidul Nostru”.

“Usatii tried to relegate a big part of his powers and responsibility to other OP activists. But the attempt to find new national leaders was unsuccessful. Voters came up to Renato Usatii at the polling station in Frankfurt am Main [Germany] on the election day, saying: “If only you were at home, we would vote for you””, said Ciubasenco.

He agreed with the OP leader, and said that “Until Renato Usatii has not returned to Moldova, Our Party’s ratings will not be growing, and other OP leadership personalities will not be able to replace his as the first person in the party”.

Dumitru Ciubasenco stood for President of Moldova as OP candidate at the 2016 elections, when he polled 6% and was the 3rd best. He also ran for parliament in February 2019 from single-member constituency #28 in Chisinau. At that parliamentary election, Our Party received 2.95% votes and ranked the 6th among parties.