Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca's dismissal referendum cost about nine million lei, which is, in fact, a cynical waste of public money on games and political whims. The plebiscite failed lamentably after 18% of the total number of voters in the municipality of Chisinau were present at the polls, and 88% of the voters voted for the dismissal of the mayor. This is the opinion expressed by the political analyst Ion Tăbârţă from IDIS "Viitorul" during the show "15 minutes of economic realism".
In the third term in the City Hall, the mayor was somehow overcome by the situation. A party click was created around it that handled the capital's affairs, not in the most transparent way, but on the contrary, began to appear more and more dubious business. Chirtoaca gained the confidence of Chisinau residents in 2007 in the context of communist governance when everyone expected a major change and she had to start from the capital of the country. Expectations were very high, and the population was more indulgent with Chirtoaca in his first term, when he had several "surprises" from the Communist government at that time: Operation 1, Fir 2 when the Christmas trees disappeared from The Great National Assembly Square. In his second term, Chirtoaca showed his limits in public administration affairs.
"The City Hall of the capital transformed the machinery of the Liberal Party, many of whom were making economic dividends. Within the party, Dorin Chirtoaca decided to go further, although the situation in the town was somewhat harmful to urban residents. Probably, after his second term, for his political future, Dorin Chirtoaca should have withdrawn from the head of the City Hall and go to parliament or executive, "Tăbârţă explained.
Already since 2016, the town hall has become a generous piece for all serious political rivals. In particular, the leadership of the capital is coveted by the Party of Socialists. From a certain personal revenge of PSRM leader Igor Dodon (in 2011, Dodon lost very little distance to Chirtoaca), the Chisinau City Hall became a political obsession with PSRM.
"In 2017 we witness a political cohabitation of the ruling party and the PSRM. Between the two parties we are witnessing a foreign geopolitical rhetoric, but internally there have been several situations where socialists and democrats have understood themselves. Cohabitation was publicly developed when the two parties voted for the mixed electoral system. Also behind behind-the-scenes arrangements, the town hall would be back in the PSRM. That is why the referendum was initiated, which was, in fact, a political trap organized by the PSRM Democratic Party, and Igor Dodon bites the bait. Thus, money was spent not as a result of the civic initiative, but on a referendum, the organization of which was decided in the backdrop of politics. It is for this reason that the right parties boycotted the plebiscite. Their explanation was that although they were not satisfied with the mayor's activity, they did not want to participate in political games behind the scenes, ",Tăbârţă added.
The referendum was an anti-PSRM vote, but not Pro Chirtoaca. At the moment, the situation is in favor of the PDM because, in a disputable way, as interim mayor, Silvia Radu was appointed, who cooperates very well with the ruling party. This situation of the interim may be maintained until the upcoming general local elections in 2019 if Dorin Chirtoaca will not defy this scenario. He must very well calculate his political chances of returning to the mayoralty. If he does not have real chances of return, then a solution could be the resignation of honor. This would pave the way for early elections in Chisinau, the voter being the one who will decide.
The show is made by IDIS "Viitorul" in partnership with Radio Free Europe.
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