Activists in Moldova say NATO has no place in their country

Activists and supporters of the opposition Party of Socialists of Moldova held large-scale protests in front of the Romanian and U.S. embassies, as well as outside the Information and Documentation Center on NATO in Chisinau. Several hundreds of people participated in the pickets. They did not take with them their party symbols, just Moldova's national flags.

The protesters urged representatives of the diplomatic missions of the partner-countries to revise their policy towards Moldova. Europe and U.S. should no longer support the Moldovan government, the protesters say. Otherwise, they say, the country may lose statehood.  They are sure that the money raised from foreign partners will be plundered and will not be used to improve the life of the ordinary people.

The picketers condemned the secret arrangements between Moldova and the alliance saying they want to see Moldova sovereign and independent, peacefully co-existing with other countries and not waring against any state. 

“Moldova does not need warplanes. We do not need U.S. generals. We do not need the NATO instructors. They have nothing to do in our country. Moldova is a neutral state. We will not involve in the NATO wars throughout the world,” says Vladimir Batrincea, Executive Secretary of the Party of Socialists.

“We are a small country with peaceful people and we do not want to be involved in various programs that lead to wars. Therefore, NATO has no place in Moldova!” says MP Eduard Smirnov, supporting his Socialists colleagues.

Leader of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon says protests will be held once or twice a week to show the people’s indignation with the oligarchic government.

“Today, we have picketed a number of embassies and voiced our demands. No response from the diplomats so far. Let us wait and see if the parliament will convene this week. Tomorrow, the permanent bureau will meet to determine the date. Afterwards, I will contact our ‘protest-partners’ to discuss our further steps,” Dodon says.

Vladimir Batrincea says they are waiting the authorities to respond to the ultimatum set by the civil forum. “We are waiting for the parliament meeting, for political events. We will be responding adequately,” he says.

The leaders of the protest movement in Moldova say peaceful assemblies are the only instrument of the fight against the government.

EADaily reported earlier that the united opposition of the Party of Socialists, Our Party and The Dignity and Truth center-right party have been holding anti-governmental protests in Moldova for six months already. The protests have intensified since January 20 2016, after Pavel Filip’s government was approved. The protesters, among others, demand resignation of the government, dissolution of the parliament, snap parliamentary elections, and constitutional reform for a shift to direct election of the president (now the president is elected by the parliament).