Important
Moldova Weekly News Digest, 29 January 2017
-A majority of the Moldovan press chose an interesting way to protest against the intimidation attempts to hide information of public interest under the claim of “personal data protection”. Online and television press chose to cover the faces and names of the public officials appearing in news, replacing them with black circles and initials like XY, XXX, ZV, ZW and others.
Moldova.ORG joined
The protest is a campaign against the abusive and wrong interpretation of the Law on the protection of personal data, used by persons of public sphere to threaten press with trials and to cover their probably corruption-based property and links.
-Moldova President Igor Dodon wants referendum to give him more rights to trigger snap Parliamentary elections.
On January 24th, the President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, declared he would find a juridical way to cause snap Parliamentary elections. Dodon proposed during his first press-conference to modify the Constitution through a national referendum to give him more rights to cause elections.
“We will propose a referendum through which the people will decide on giving this right to the President. To allow me to dissolve the Parliament in conditions other than the existent ones”, said Dodon, emphasizing that it would not make Moldova a Presidential republic. He then added the adverb “yet”.
-On January 23rd, Moldova’s President, Igor Dodon, announced he initiated the challenging of the results of the contest for appointing the Prosecutor General, ended with Eduard Harunjen being appointed. According to Dodon, the procedure and the limits of the public contest for the seat of Prosecutor General was violated by the Supreme Council of Prosecutors.
“This seat has to be filled by a person compatible with the position, in a transparent way. I will make all the legal efforts to achieve this objective”, declared Dodon.
-Romania ex-President Traian Băsescu challenges revoking of his Moldovan citizenship by Igor Dodon.
On January 26th, the procedure of challenging was launched upon the decree for revoking the Moldovan citizenship of Romania former President Traian Băsescu by Moldova President Igor Dodon. Băsescu’s lawyer, Andrei Bivol, submitted a request for trial to the Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova. Bivol thinks that Dodon’s decree is illegal and contradicts both the Law on Citizenship and the European Convention on the Citizenship. The case would reportedly be launched in a week.
-Igor Dodon wants to prevent the opening of the NATO civil office. In a recent interview for Russia Today, Moldova’s President, Igor Dodon, declared he would attempt to prevent the opening of a NATO representation office in the Moldovan capital Chișinău.
Dodon believes that the opening of the NATO office is to make Moldova “join some military alliances” in the future. Moreover, Dodon stated that, during his next visit to Brussels, he would ask the NATO leadership to “publicly support and sign the agreement, which would recognize the neutrality of the Republic of Moldova”.
Asked about NATO’s intentions to support reforms in Moldova through the liaison office, Dodon said he would continue to block these attempts, in order to counteract the advance of the Alliance. The Moldovan President strongly kept his anti-NATO, Russia-friendly rather than neutral position:
“Of course, there is some NATO propaganda in our country, but the majority of Moldovans are totally opposed to the idea of joining NATO. That is why, in the foreseeable future, I don’t believe there is a chance something will change. But it doesn’t mean that now is the time to relax, not by a long shot. So we are going to block all these attempts, like creating a liaison office and so on. We are going to oppose all the suspicious joint military exercises – what is the point in them? Who is Moldova going to war with? Why are there American tanks in Chisinau? I mean it’s clear they are not there because of Syria. What we do have close to us is Transnistria and Russia. So it’s very dangerous for us to play this kind of game.”, said Dodon.
-During 23-27 January 2017, a group of NATO experts visited Moldova’s Defense Ministry to offer assistance in the elaboration of the Implementation Plan for the National Defense Strategy (SNA) and the Military Strategy (SM). The assistance is offered within the frame of Defence and Related Security Capacity Building Initiative (DCBI).
The NATO experts met the members of the Inter-institutional Work Group responsible of the implementation plan of SNA, but also experts who elaborate the Military Strategy of Moldova, in order to analyze the principles and concepts of using the Armed Forces, the security environment, the threats and the risks.
-73% progress in implementing EU-Moldova Association Agreement in 2014-2016, 34% harmonization of EU acquis. On January 26th, Moldova’s Government Commission for European Integration, led by Prime-Minister Pavel Filip, examined the report on the progress of the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union between 2014 and 2016.
According to the presented report, the quantitative evaluation of the progress on implementing the planned actions during 2014-2016 showed a level of 73,73%.
Speaking about the rate of harmonization of the national legislation with the EU acquis, the press-release of the Moldovan Government only mentions that it is “increasing”. At the same time, the report shows a disappointing low level of harmonization- 34%.
-A letter signed by 23 lawmakers representing their countries in the Council of Europe ask for the stop of political oppression against civil society and key witnesses in Moldova. The deputies from Austria, Estonia, Jordan, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Latvia, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Czechia and Lithuania call on the Moldovan authorities to stop political reprisals, reminding that human rights and democracy in Moldova is closely monitored by the Council of Europe. The European officials mention that one of the key priorities of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement is to increase transparency in the implementation of anti-corruption reform and the protection of human rights and freedoms.
-Transparency International launched a new survey-based index on Corruption Perceptions for the year of 2016.
In 2016, Moldova was placed on the 123rd place together with Azerbaijan, Djibouti, Honduras, Laos, Mexico, Paraguay and Sierra Leone and was rated as more corrupt than in the previous four years- only 30 points out of 100. In 2012, Moldova got 36 points, in 2013 and 2014- 35 points, in 2015- 33.
-The banks of Moldova made an accumulated profit of 1,47 billion lei (73,2 million USD) in 2016, reports bancamea, referring to the stats of the National Bank. Compared to 2015 when the banks earned a profit of 1,14 billion, the Moldovan banks’ profit increased by 28,2% in 2012.
The biggest profit was reported by Moldova Agroindbank- 403,5 million lei, the second biggest by Mobiasbanca Groupe Societe Generale- 325 million lei, the third by Moldindconbank- 269 million lei, and fourth by Victoriabank- 220,8 million lei. These four most profitable banks made 83% of the reported profit of the whole banking system of Moldova.
-On January 20th, the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia autonomy elected its sixth president- Alexandr Tarnavsky. The new speaker was elected by 28 out of 31 local deputies who voted.
Until recently, Tarnavsky held the position of vice-President of People’s Assembly. Belonging to the Democratic Party camp, the new speaker declared he would neglect the local political rivaly in order to pay attention to the economic development of the region and to build a constructive dialogue with the authorities from Chișinău.
-On January 26th, a representation office of the so-called Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic was opened in Moscow, Russia. The office is aimed at offering help to the Transnistrian citizens who residents or visitors in the Russian Federation. The leader of the breakaway republic, Vadim Krasnoselsky, also pointed out that this Representation Office would have some other priorities similar to one of an Embassy: establishing interaction with the Russian Duma and other state institutions of Russia and developing the economic ties between the “two” countries.
On January 27th, the Foreign Ministry of Moldova issued a statement condemning the decision of the Transnistrian leader, Vadim Krasnoselsky, to appoint a “plenipotentiary representative” and a “representation office” of the breakaway Transnistria in the Russian Federation. The dismayed Moldovan authorities declare that the action is illegal and illegitimate, because it would contradict the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, and the generally accepted norms and principles of international law.
The Moldovan Foreign Ministry expects the Russian authorities to reject the request of Transnistria, in order to confirm the respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, documented by the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty between Moldova and Russia.
Important
#WorldForUkraine – a map that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against Russian aggression
The international community and volunteers from all over te world have launched #WorldForUkraine as a platform that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against the Russian aggression. In a digital world – it is an interactive map of public support of Ukrainians under the hashtag #WorldForUkraine – rallies, flash mobs, protests around the world. In the physical dimension – it is your opportunity to take to the streets and declare: “No to Putin’s aggression, no to war.”
„Today, along with the political and military support, emotional connection with the civilized world and truthful information are extremely important for Ukraine. The power to do it is in your hands. Join the #WorldForUkraine project and contribute to the victorious battle against the bloodshed inflicted on Ukraine by the aggression of the Russian Federation”, says the „about the project” section of the platform.
Go to the streets — Tell people — Connect and Unite — Become POWERFUL
Volunteers have launched #WorldForUkraine as a platform that shows the magnitude of the world’s actions against Russian aggression. In digital world – it is an INTERACTIVE MAP of public support of Ukrainians worldforukraine.net under the hashtag #WorldForUkraine – rallies, flash mobs, protests around the world. In the physical dimension – it is your opportunity to take to the streets and declare: “No to Putin’s aggression, no to war.” There you may find information about past and future rallies in your city in support of Ukraine. This is a permanent platform for Ukrainian diaspora and people all over the world concerned about the situation in Ukraine.
So here’s a couple of things you could do yourself to help:
* if there is a political rally in your city, then participate in it and write about it on social media with geolocation and the hashtag #WorldForUkraine
* if there are no rallies nearby, organize one in support of Ukraine yourself, write about it on social media with geolocation adding the hashtag #WorldForUkraine
The map will add information about gathering by #WorldForUkraine AUTOMATICALLY
Your voice now stronger THAN ever
All rallies are already here: https://worldforukraine.net
Important
How is Moldova managing the big influx of Ukrainian refugees? The authorities’ plan, explained
From 24th to 28th of February, 71 359 Ukrainian citizens entered the territory of Republic of Moldova. 33 173 of them left the country. As of this moment, there are 38 186 Ukrainian citizens in Moldova, who have arrived over the past 100 hours.
The Moldovan people and authorities have organized themselves quickly from the first day of war between Russia and Ukraine. However, in the event of a prolonged armed conflict and a continuous influx of Ukrainian refugees, the efforts and donations need to be efficiently managed. Thus, we inquired about Moldova’s long-term plan and the state’s capacity to receive, host, and treat a bigger number of refugees.
On February 26th, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Moldova approved the Regulation of organization and functioning of the temporary Placement Center for refugees and the staffing and expenditure rules. According to the Regulation, the Centers will have the capacity of temporary hosting and feeding at least 20 persons, for a maximum of 3 months, with the possibility of extending this period. The Centers will also offer legal, social, psychological, and primary medical consultations to the refugees. The Center’s activity will be financed from budget allocations, under Article 19 of Provision no. 1 of the Exceptional Situations Commission from February 24th, 2022, and from other sources of funding that do not contravene applicable law.
The Ministry of Inner Affairs and the Government of Moldova facilitated the organization of the volunteers’ group “Moldova for Peace”. Its purpose is to receive, offer assistance and accommodation to the Ukrainian refugees. The group is still working on creating a structure, registering and contacting volunteers, etc. It does not activate under a legal umbrella.
Lilia Nenescu, one of the “Moldova for Peace” volunteers, said that the group consists of over 20 people. Other 1700 registered to volunteer by filling in this form, which is still available. The group consists of several departments:
The volunteers’ department. Its members act as fixers: they’re responsible for connecting the people in need of assistance with the appropriate department. Some of the volunteers are located in the customs points. “The Ministry of Inner Affairs sends us every day the list of the customs points where our assistance is needed, and we mobilize the volunteers”, says Lilia Nenescu.
The Goods Department manages all the goods donated by the Moldavian citizens. The donations are separated into categories: non-perishable foods and non-food supplies. The volunteers of this department sort the goods into packages to be distributed.
The Government intends to collect all the donations in four locations. The National Agency for Food Safety and the National Agency for Public Health will ensure mechanisms to confirm that all the deposited goods comply with safety and quality regulations.
The Service Department operates in 4 directions and needs the volunteer involvement of specialists in psychology, legal assistance (the majority of the refugees only have Ukrainian ID and birth certificates of their children); medical assistance; translation (a part of the refugees are not Ukrainian citizens).
According to Elena Mudrîi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, so far there is no data about the number of Covid-19 positive refugees. She only mentioned two cases that needed outpatient medical assistance: a pregnant woman and the mother of a 4-day-old child.
The Accommodation Department. The volunteers are waiting for the centralized and updated information from the Ministry of Labor about the institutions offering accommodation, besides the houses offered by individuals.
The Transport Department consists of drivers organized in groups. They receive notifications about the number of people who need transportation from the customs points to the asylum centers for refugees.
The municipal authorities of Chișinău announced that the Ukrainian children refugees from the capital city will be enrolled in educational institutions. The authorities also intend to create Day-Care Centers for children, where they will be engaged in educational activities and will receive psychological assistance. Besides, the refugees from the municipal temporary accommodation centers receive individual and group counseling.
In addition to this effort, a group of volunteers consisting of Ana Gurău, Ana Popapa, and Andrei Lutenco developed, with the help of Cristian Coșneanu, the UArefugees platform, synchronized with the responses from this form. On the first day, 943 people offered their help using the form, and 110 people asked for help. According to Anna Gurău, the volunteers communicate with the Government in order to update the platform with the missing data.
Translation from Romanian by Natalia Graur
A new football club has earned a leading place in the UEFA Champions League groups and starred in the headlines of worldwide football news yesterday. The Football Club Sheriff Tiraspol claimed a win with the score 2-1 against Real Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. That made Sheriff Tiraspol the leader in Group D of the Champions League, including the football club in the groups of the most important European interclub competition for the first time ever.
International media outlets called it a miracle, a shock and a historic event, while strongly emphasizing the origin of the team and the existing political conflict between the two banks of the Dniester. “Football club from a pro-Russian separatist enclave in Moldova pulls off one of the greatest upsets in Champions League history,” claimed the news portals. “Sheriff crushed Real!” they said.
Moldovans made a big fuss out of it on social media, splitting into two groups: those who praised the team and the Republic of Moldova for making history and those who declared that the football club and their merits belong to Transnistria – a problematic breakaway region that claims to be a separate country.
Both groups are right and not right at the same time, as there is a bunch of ethical, political, social and practical matters that need to be considered.
Is it Moldova?
First of all, every Moldovan either from the right or left bank of Dniester (Transnistria) is free to identify himself with this achievement or not to do so, said Vitalie Spranceana, a sociologist, blogger, journalist and urban activist. According to him, boycotting the football club for being a separatist team is wrong.
At the same time, “it’s an illusion to think that territory matters when it comes to football clubs,” Spranceana claimed. “Big teams, the ones included in the Champions League, have long lost their connection both with the countries in which they operate, and with the cities in which they appeared and to which they linked their history. […] In the age of globalized commercial football, teams, including the so-called local ones, are nothing more than global traveling commercial circuses, incidentally linked to cities, but more closely linked to all sorts of dirty, semi-dirty and cleaner cash flows.”
What is more important in this case is the consistency, not so much of citizens, as of politicians from the government who have “no right to celebrate the success of separatism,” as they represent “the national interests, not the personal or collective pleasures of certain segments of the population,” believes the political expert Dionis Cenusa. The victory of FC Sheriff encourages Transnistrian separatism, which receives validation now, he also stated.
“I don’t know how it happens that the “proud Moldovans who chose democracy”, in their enthusiasm for Sheriff Tiraspol’s victory over Real Madrid, forget the need for total and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria!” declared the journalist Vitalie Ciobanu.
Nowadays, FC Sheriff Tiraspol has no other choice than to represent Moldova internationally. For many years, the team used the Moldovan Football Federation in order to be able to participate in championships, including international ones. That is because the region remains unrecognised by the international community. However, the club’s victory is presented as that of Transnistria within the region, without any reference to the Republic of Moldova, its separatist character being applied in this case especially.
Is it a victory?
In fact, FC Sheriff Tiraspol joining the Champions League is a huge image breakthrough for the Transnistrian region, as the journalist Madalin Necsutu claimed. It is the success of the Tiraspol Club oligarchic patrons. From the practical point of view, FC Sheriff Tiraspol is a sports entity that serves its own interests and the interests of its owners, being dependent on the money invested by Tiraspol (but not only) oligarchs.
Here comes the real dilemma: the Transnistrian team, which is generously funded by money received from corruption schemes and money laundering, is waging an unequal fight with the rest of the Moldovan football clubs, the journalist also declared. The Tiraspol team is about to raise 15.6 million euro for reaching the Champions League groups and the amounts increase depending on their future performance. According to Necsutu, these money will go directly on the account of the club, not to the Moldovan Football Federation, creating an even bigger gab between FC Sheriff and other football clubs from Moldova who have much more modest financial possibilities.
“I do not see anything useful for Moldovan football, not a single Moldovan player is part of FC Sheriff Tiraspol. I do not see anything beneficial for the Moldovan Football Federation or any national team.”
Is it only about football?
FC Sheriff Tiraspol, with a total estimated value of 12.8 million euros, is controlled by Victor Gusan and Ilya Kazmala, being part of Sheriff Holding – a company that controls the trade of wholesale, retail food, fuels and medicine by having monopolies on these markets in Transnistria. The holding carries out car trading activities, but also operates in the field of construction and real estate. Gusan’s people also hold all of the main leadership offices in the breakaway region, from Parliament to the Prime Minister’s seat or the Presidency.
The football club is supported by a holding alleged of smuggling, corruption, money laundering and organised crime. Moldovan media outlets published investigations about the signals regarding the Sheriff’s holding involvement in the vote mobilization and remuneration of citizens on the left bank of the Dniester who participated in the snap parliamentary elections this summer and who were eager to vote for the pro-Russian socialist-communist bloc.
Considering the above, there is a great probability that the Republic of Moldova will still be represented by a football club that is not identified as being Moldovan, being funded from obscure money, growing in power and promoting the Transnistrian conflict in the future as well.
Photo: unknown
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