Moldovan opposition claims that Chisinau city administration is raided

Appointment of Silvia Radu as acting mayor of the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, will be appealed in court. The move is initiated by the Liberal Party and the Socialist Party of Moldova that are opposing the ruling majority. They call the reshuffle “a raider attack” against the city administration.

The Liberal Party insists that Silvia Radu is a creature of Vlad Plahotniuc, the leader of the Democratic Party, and she has legal problems, while the decision of the former acting mayor Nistor Grozavu to appoint deputy mayors without approval of the municipal council is illegal.

“Usually, candidatures of deputy mayors are approved by the municipal council. This time, everything was done by a Plahotniuc’s protégé Grozavu with the connivance of the Socialists. Dodon (the president of Moldova) and Plahotniuc have a plan that they have been implementing step by step, starting from illegal resignation of Chirtoacă and organization of an illegal referendum. We will have it proven in court that it is illegal and that a person having troubles with the law cannot be bringing Chisinau to order,” leader of the Liberal Party Mihai Ghimpu said.

On November 6, Chisinau acting mayor Nistor Grozau appointed ex-president of Gas Natural Fenosa Moldova Silvia Radu and municipal adviser of the People’s European Party Ruslan Codrianu deputy mayors and announced his resignation. Since then, Radu will be an acting mayor, and Grozavu and Codrianu will be her deputies.

Previous mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoacă was detained on May 25 by the National Anti-Corruption Center officers on suspicion of getting profit from his influence upon the issue of paid parking lots. Apart from him, six city managers were arrested, including heads of departments and a mayor’s counsellor.