“Our Home is Moldova” (OHM) party leader Grigore Petrenco is calling on opposition parties not to take part in the October 30 presidential election because he thinks that “by entering into the ruling regime’s political games, they will have to play according to the rules laid down by this regime”.

 

The opposition politician said at a news conference in Infotag on Thursday that “in the conditions of a captured state, which Moldova precisely is, one cannot speak seriously of whatever free or democratic elections. The Moldovan Central Election Commission is fully controlled by and accountable to oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc and to the Democratic Party he de facto rules. Even the Moldovan Constitutional Court is a servant to Mr. Plahotniuc”.

 

“Let me remind you something. All of a sudden, our Constitutional Court has decided to return to electing the head of state directly by the whole nation. But Article 68 in the Constitution [“Election of President”] may be amended only by using one of the following two methods – either by the vote of two-thirds of Parliament deputies or through holding a nationwide referendum”, said the member of the previous Moldovan Parliament and former Deputy Chairman of the Unified European Left group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

 

“For several years now, the Republic of Moldova has been ruled by a criminal group, and we can achieve its departure from power only through massive protests with the only slogan and demand of an early parliamentary election”, stressed Grigore Petrenco.

 

He is not going to obey to the court’s prohibition to take part in protest actions, and “I will find other methods of expressing civil disobedience”.

 

“We shall find methods how to attract Europe’s and America’s attention to the lawlessness sweeping Moldova. Our methods of protesting will be no less efficient. So, let Plahotniuc think of it. He will be discovering international discontent with his activities in most unexpected places. Thank God there is the PACE and the Council of Europe and European left parties. He is not able to scare us. We shall be protesting by using our legal right for this”, promised the opposition politician.