The new government of Moldova has officially been recognized by Russia and the EU. NATO and the U.S. State Department called the parties for dialogue. But the party of the richest man in the country is still trying to regain power with the help of street protests and the Constitutional Court. In order to deprive Vlad Plahotniuc of influence, the political forces that seemed irreconcilable united. These are the socialists, who are in favor of closer relations with Russia, and the alliance of pro-European parties.
Sergey Samokha has the details of how Chisinau lives in the conditions of dual power.
The administration of the Moldovan president is one of the few government buildings in Chisinau that protesters aren't blocking. Therefore, it's here that the ambassadors of 30 foreign states came to an emergency meeting. President Igor Dodon asked for help in resolving the political crisis.
Igor Dodon, President of Moldova: "We turned to international partners for them to act even as intermediaries, if possible Each of them may come. They can form a group of three or four so that there'll be a peaceful transfer of power. If there isn't a peaceful transfer, it can come to the withdrawal of people. We don't want that".
The current political crisis is the work of Vladimir Plahotniuc. He's the richest man in the country and the leader of one of the largest political forces — the Democratic Party of Moldova. For ten years, the oligarch has completely controlled the parliament, law enforcement bodies, and the courts. In Moldova, he has the nickname of "The Puppeteer". In Russia, two criminal cases were initiated against Plahotniuc: on financial fraud and attempted murder. The main task of the current Moldovan government is to take away power from the DPM leaders and the oligarch himself. That is why the Socialist Party and the pro-European bloc Action and Solidarity united in the Moldovan parliament. Its leader, Maia Sandu, immediately took the oath as prime minister. The head of the Socialist Party, Zinaida Greceanii, became the chairwoman of the parliament.
Igor Dodon, President of Moldova: "We now have a working coalition. The new government has been elected. It was supported by the international community, the EU countries, the USA, and Russia".
The fact that Moscow, Brussels, and Washington supported the new government didn't stop Vladimir Plahotniuc. Right after the coalition was formed, the Constitutional Court, controlled by the oligarch, found that decision to be illegal. The powers of the country's president were handed over to former Prime Minister Pavel Philip, who immediately signed a decree to dissolve parliament.
Vlad Batrîncea, Chairman of the Socialist Party: "The Socialist Party doesn't recognize all of the decisions of the so-called Constitutional Court, which, in fact, consists of six people controlled by the anti-popular regime of the democratic party, taken in the last few days".
Vladimir Plahotniuc brought thousands of supporters of the Democratic Party of Moldova to the streets and announced his victory. First, tents appeared near the government's building, blocking the entrance of the building for the members of the new cabinet. This morning, the government was encircled by policemen loyal to the old government.
Alexander Pynzar, head of the General Inspectorate of Police of Moldova: "We act in accordance with the current laws and constitutional rules. Alexandru Jizdan, from Pavel Philip's team, is my minister".
But the first meeting of the cabinet still took place in the parliament building.
Maia Sandu, Moldovan Prime Minister: "I hope that the next meeting will be held in the government's building. Citizens should be confident and united. There is no old government. The parliament elected a legitimate government, and other actions are illegal".
In parallel with the meeting of the new cabinet, a meeting of the government appointed by the Constitutional Court was held. It didn't arouse the interest of Moldovan journalists, therefore, there's only a photo report on a page of the protege of the Democratic Party Pavel Philip on the social media. By the way, his decree to dissolve the parliament had no effect on the work of the deputies. Plahotniuc hasn't appeared in public since yesterday. But, according to Moldovan media, after the rally yesterday, a small private jet flew from the Chisinau Airport to Czechia.
Sergey Samokha for Vesti.
