OUR PARTY LOSES MAJORITY IN BALTI CITY LEGISLATURE

The Municipal Council of the country’s second-largest city of Balti held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, during which a new majority emerged in the 35-member city legislature. Seeing that, the municipal councilors representing the strongly opposition Our Party [headed by Renato Usatii staying in Moscow since August 2016], who had controlled the city administration last 3 years, raised and left the session room in protest.

The new feeble majority consists of 18 councilors, and the last personality who has changed the situation was Alexander Usatii, running for Balti Mayor as the Party of Socialists’ candidate.

The new majority consists of the Democrats, Liberals, Liberal Democrats and of councilors from the faction “For the Development of Balti” as well as several Our Party representatives. OP wrote in its press release today that the latter councilors and their relatives had been subjected to a pressing victimization by the central Moldovan authorities.

The OP leadership drew the attention of the Moldovan public and international organizations to “the banditry methods of seizing power by the ruling Democratic Party – at all levels”.

Infotag's dossier: The 35-member Balti Municipal Council initially had a majority of 26 councilors from Our Party that was formed right after the sensational victory of OP Chairman Renato Usatii at the elections in June 2015, when he polled 73%. However, last 2 years or so, a number of OP councilors either quitted the OP faction or joined the faction “For the Development of Balti”.

The May 20 early mayoral election has been caused by the resignation tendered by Balti Mayor Renato Usatii, who thus wanted to save the Party (he still chairs) from the constant pressure put by the ruling regime and to spare OP activists from victimization. Himself Usatii has been hiding in Moscow from what he calls “the Plahotniuc justice in Moldova”.