Reports
OPPOSITION WARNING MOLDOVA MAY BE PUNISHED FOR RESTRICTING DUAL CITIZENS’ RIGHTS
Chisinau. The Government of Moldova may be condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for restricting the rights of people having dual citizenship, and the first step to this has already been made, Chisinau Mayor and Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Party Dorin Chirtoaca and Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, lawyer Alexandru Tanase, stated at a news conference in Infotag today.
Some time ago, the two filed a claim with the European Court of Human Rights requesting to defend such people’s rights. And the ECHR has just accepted the claim for examination, and demanded from the Government of Moldova to supply, by August 12, its explanations concerning the amended Citizenship Law that came into effect in May 2008.
Tanase stated, “We believe the Law infringes on Moldova residents’ right to elect and be elected. It discriminates those who have a dual citizenship, for now they are not eligible to hold public posts, to be members of parliament or government, to be a mayor or employed at the National Bank”.
Lawyer Tanase admitted that, really, the draft Citizenship Law successfully passed an expert examination at the Council of Europe, “but the Moldovan authorities have not taken European experts’ recommendations”. He stressed that himself and Mr. Chirtoaca addressed the ECHR on behalf of all Moldova citizens having the citizenships of other states as well, “and we are demanding no compensations whatever for the damage”.
Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca stated that the main objective of the Law is to eliminate oppositional politicians from the 2009 parliamentary marathon, and “I mean myself, and Mr. Tanase and many other people. The governing party is practically undertaking an attempt to blockade us because we have the Romanian citizenship and thus present danger for the Communist government. We do hope the European Court of Human Rights will demand from Moldova to abolish this Law yet before the campaign in the run-up to the 2009 elections”.
Dorin Chirtoaca promised he would find a solution to remain in active politics even with the Romanian citizenship, if the Law fails to be cancelled.
…AND CLAIMING DOZENS OF POLICE OFFICERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FIRED FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Chisinau. Nearly 50 officers have been fired from the Ministry of the Interior only for their having dual citizenship, Alexandru Tanase stated at the news conference in Infotag today.
“I should say the victims for this firing were selected in a very strange way. Personally I am acquainted with some concrete officials in the Government, who have a second citizenship but continue to hold their positions all right. And even Veaceslav Iordan [formerly the Communist Party’s candidate for Chisinau Mayor and currently the Director General of the Apele Moldovei national water-resource concern] continues to render services to the authorities, though he has the Romanian citizenship”, said Alexandru Tanase.
He referred to rumors circulating in Chisinau that even Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and former Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev had a second citizenship, “so, as you see, all depends on which party you belong, and the second citizenship of which country you hold”, Tanase said.
Later today, the head of the Ministry of the Interior’s press unit, Alla Meleca, refuted Tanase’s statements. She told your Infotag correspondent that the dual citizenship was not the reason why the police officers were dismissed from their posts.
“I am hereby stating officially that not a single Interior employee has been dismissed for this particular reason. The latest dismissals were due to corruption, abuse of power, involvement in criminal activities, or slack service discipline”, said Alla Meleca.
