Post by Jaga on Apr 16, 2009 21:49:05 GMT -7
Violent protests against the parliamentary elections’ outcome in Moldova have grown quiet but the situation in the country is still tense. Although OSCE election observers concluded that vote was fair, the opposition as well as the European Parliament are not convinced. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski from the EP claims that the estimate of the situation by OSCE “is overly optimistic” and a special resolution, calling for the release of detained protesters, will soon be adopted by the EU.
“Over a thousand people are detained, many of them being beaten” tells thenews.pl Cornelia Cozonac from Moldavian Center for Investigative Journalism.
Monika Greszta: Almost 200 people were arrested and 300 injured in mass street demonstrations that took place in Chisinau earlier this month, according to Moldavian sources. What is the real toll?
Cornelia Cozonac: The official numbers given by state-owned TV or newspapers are false since they are controlled by the communists. The mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca, who is deputy head of the opposition Liberal Party, announced that there were over one thousand people arrested after the protests. Some of them were released after NGOs and human rights organizations had put pressure on President Voronin. He proclaimed amnesty under the pretext of Easter. Most of the detained are young people, including children. They claim that while in custody, they were assaulted by the police and denied legal assistance. Two people died as a result of being beaten. The Moldavian Ministry of Interior, the Health Ministry and the Prosecutor’s Office maintain that the cause of their death was gas poisoning but the bodies show head wounds.
Moldova wants Ukraine to extradite two of its citizens accused of organizing protests in Chisinau. Who are they?
One of them is Gabriel Stati, a wealthy businessman form Moldova. He is accused of taking part in demonstrations but there is no evidence of it. Nobody has seen him protesting. The authorities want to punish him simply because he refused to finance the Communist Party’s campaign and instead supported the opposition. The other one is a journalist Aurien Marinescu. If the Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine decides to give them away, they will face twenty five years in prison.
Is there any chance for re-elections in Moldova?
There are two possible scenarios which could lead to re-elections. Firstly, the Constitutional Court in Moldova will have to question the validity of votes cast in parliamentary elections and if it finds any violations, it can call for re-elections. Vlad Filat of the Liberal Democrats, who claims that about 10,000 votes are invalid, has already said that the opposition would present their allegations to the Constitutional Court. Secondly, if the communists fail to elect new president in three consecutive parliamentary votings, re-elections must be held. President Vladimir Voronin will step down later this month after the maximum two terms in office. In order to choose his successor unopposed the Communist Party needs to hold the majority of seats in the 101-seat parliament. In recent elections the communists won just under 50 percent of votes, which gave them 60 seats. They lack one seat.
Does the involvement of the European Union and human rights organizations in Moldova help change the situation in the country?
Certainly. Last week President Voronin in a strongly worded speech said "political forces in Romania" were behind the unrest. Yesterday in a TV statement he expressed an opposite view, saying that Romania should introduce Moldova to the EU and collaborate with it. Talking about the Moldova-Romania relationship, Voronin used an example of Poland, a country which, in his opinion, “helps neighbouring Ukraine instead of trying to appropriate its territory”.
www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/news/?id=106385
“Over a thousand people are detained, many of them being beaten” tells thenews.pl Cornelia Cozonac from Moldavian Center for Investigative Journalism.
Monika Greszta: Almost 200 people were arrested and 300 injured in mass street demonstrations that took place in Chisinau earlier this month, according to Moldavian sources. What is the real toll?
Cornelia Cozonac: The official numbers given by state-owned TV or newspapers are false since they are controlled by the communists. The mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca, who is deputy head of the opposition Liberal Party, announced that there were over one thousand people arrested after the protests. Some of them were released after NGOs and human rights organizations had put pressure on President Voronin. He proclaimed amnesty under the pretext of Easter. Most of the detained are young people, including children. They claim that while in custody, they were assaulted by the police and denied legal assistance. Two people died as a result of being beaten. The Moldavian Ministry of Interior, the Health Ministry and the Prosecutor’s Office maintain that the cause of their death was gas poisoning but the bodies show head wounds.
Moldova wants Ukraine to extradite two of its citizens accused of organizing protests in Chisinau. Who are they?
One of them is Gabriel Stati, a wealthy businessman form Moldova. He is accused of taking part in demonstrations but there is no evidence of it. Nobody has seen him protesting. The authorities want to punish him simply because he refused to finance the Communist Party’s campaign and instead supported the opposition. The other one is a journalist Aurien Marinescu. If the Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine decides to give them away, they will face twenty five years in prison.
Is there any chance for re-elections in Moldova?
There are two possible scenarios which could lead to re-elections. Firstly, the Constitutional Court in Moldova will have to question the validity of votes cast in parliamentary elections and if it finds any violations, it can call for re-elections. Vlad Filat of the Liberal Democrats, who claims that about 10,000 votes are invalid, has already said that the opposition would present their allegations to the Constitutional Court. Secondly, if the communists fail to elect new president in three consecutive parliamentary votings, re-elections must be held. President Vladimir Voronin will step down later this month after the maximum two terms in office. In order to choose his successor unopposed the Communist Party needs to hold the majority of seats in the 101-seat parliament. In recent elections the communists won just under 50 percent of votes, which gave them 60 seats. They lack one seat.
Does the involvement of the European Union and human rights organizations in Moldova help change the situation in the country?
Certainly. Last week President Voronin in a strongly worded speech said "political forces in Romania" were behind the unrest. Yesterday in a TV statement he expressed an opposite view, saying that Romania should introduce Moldova to the EU and collaborate with it. Talking about the Moldova-Romania relationship, Voronin used an example of Poland, a country which, in his opinion, “helps neighbouring Ukraine instead of trying to appropriate its territory”.
www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/news/?id=106385