​CAC PERMITS CHIRTOACA IMPEACHMENT REFERENDUM

The Chisinau Appeals Court (CAC) has declined the judgment of a court of first instance and thus met the inquiry of the Party of Socialists concerning registration of an initiative group that will organize the collection of Chisinau citizens’ signatures in support of holding a city referendum on impeaching Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca.

Thanks to the CAC ruling, the Socialists have thus re-set in motion what they have in fact achieved but what was then challenged with the court of first instance and was suspended by it: they have registered with the Central Election Commission the initiative group of 460 people, approved the referendum question “Do you support the revocation of Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca from the post?” and were given 60 days for signature raising.

“We are ready to begin collecting signatures immediately. We are sure that most of Chisinau citizens will support our initiative”, stated Ion Ceban, chairman of the Socialist faction in the Chisinau Municipal Council [city legislature].

However, the CEC decision may be challenged with yet a higher judicial instance – the Supreme Court.

As already reported by Infotag, the Socialist faction undertook this new attempt to organize an anti-Chirtoaca referendum in March 2017, maintaining that “the city is suffering of indifferent and stupid governance. Investors are running away from Chisinau or simply don't come here because the city is drowning in corruption and nepotism”.

The Socialists maintain that after the 10-year-long reckless governance by the Liberals, the once beautiful city of Chisinau now looks as if after an environmental catastrophe – with garbage and dirt everywhere, bumpy roads, illicit construction sites and decaying public transport.

Previously, President Igor Dodon also spoke out for dismissing Chirtoaca – the First Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Party and the beloved nephew of LP Chairman Mihai Ghimpu. Chirtoaca mysteriously won mayoral elections in 2007 [when he was only 28, having not a single day’s experience of work in city administration], then in 2011 and then in 2015, and each time he defeated Socialist candidates in second rounds with differences of a few hundred ballots.