After the dramatic struggle for power in the Republic of Moldova is a time of “mucking out begins for the new government,” says state chief Maia Sandu. The servants of the old oligarchic regime a go – to the other.
Maia Sandu is since the 8. In June, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova
DW: Ms. Sandu, in our last conversation, we sat in the modest office of her party, ACUM, today we are going to meet in government buildings. At that time, she referred to the Republic of Moldova as a “captured state”. What a state it is today?
Maia Sandu: We are going to liberate this hijacked state. The servant of the Plahotniuc-regime go, one after the other. (Editor’s note. d. Red.: the Oligarch and the PDM party leader Vladimir Plahotniuc renounced in mid-June on the Power. Prior to that, he had refused for several days, the new coalition government to recognise – consisting of the pro-European Block of ACUM and the pro-Russian socialists). However, we are aware that there are still institutions that are still under their control. We are firmly committed the state to “clean out”.
The Oligarch Plahotniuc renounced Power and fled the country. Why do you let him go?
We still have to figure out. That he had to leave the country, we learned only after the public Declaration of his party, the PDM, it will not recognise the new government. The institutions responsible are able to offer to date, no clear information about how Plahotniuc, the country could leave – but it is clear that he could use his influence on certain institutions, in order to leave no traces.
There are also abroad, fears that the temporary cooperation between their party ACUM and of the pro-Russian “party of socialists” (PSRM), the Russian federalization plans for the Republic of Moldova resurgence. (Editor’s note. d. Red.: the breakaway, pro-Russian Transnistria has been old in the beginning of the 1990s from the Republic of Moldova is removed and does not recognize the government in Chisinau. Through this frozen conflict, the topic is particularly sensitive.). What do you expect in the context of the ever-closer relations with Russia?
It can not come to a federalization, as long as we are of the party ACUM quite clear about it. What Russia concerns Also the commitment of Moscow to remove Plahotniuc from political life, surprised. The agreement with the “party of socialists”, which we have signed, is the only agreement we have, is accessible to the public. We need to see how far this cooperation is enough. At the Moment, both sides respect their Commitments.
Prior to the parliamentary elections in February they had assured their constituents, they would not work with the pro-Russian socialists. The current coalition government of ACUM and the socialists, therefore, a fraud on the voters of ACUM is?
Maia Sandu in an interview with Vitalie Calugareanu, DW correspondent in Chisinau
We had to decide: Either we allow the Regime to stay in Power, to lose with the risk of each track of a democratic process in this country – or do we conclude an agreement with the socialists. Yes, this cooperation would have been six months earlier, for us unacceptable, but the decision was finally taken, together with the members of the party, together with our constituents. We have long searched for better solutions, but after three months, we have realized that there is no.
For the first Time, the EU, Russia and the United States were unanimous: All wanted Plahotniuc to relinquish Power. Why do you think that he and his party stood, suddenly, without any support from abroad?
I think his actions and decisions were in this all the time so bad, that the powers against him to work together, otherwise, hardly, least of all in our Region. Plahotniuc and all of its lobbyists could not hide the severity of his power abuse.
I was also told in Brussels that Plahotniuc was the big Problem of the Republic of Moldova. There it was called in discussions: as Long as you do not wished to let go of him, will happen in the Moldova’s nothing Good, there will be no perspective.
Don’t you find it strange that several shady personalities from your country who have found since the 1990s, in Russia refuge, saying today: Well, we got rid of Plahotniuc, now we want to return home?
That bothers me very much, and it is important that we remove the public Prosecutor’s office as quickly as possible from the vulnerable, corrupt members. To be headed by an attorney General must stand that begins with the reforms and a clear message: In the Republic of Moldova criminals need to be punished.
Lately, the shocking Details came to light about illegal transactions at the customs and in the Ministry of the interior. Also, the new Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the interior, your party colleague, Andrei Nastase, spoke of more than 100 employees of the interior Ministry, received during the Plahotniuc-regime of oligarchs envelopes with bribes. You are aware that a Ministry is that, de facto, a criminal group has transformed?
It doesn’t surprise me, basically, and I think there are also other institutions in which ugly things happen. For example, there are state-owned companies, financed until recently, the business of Plahotniuc. Now we are in the midst of a process of “mucking out”, but that is not very hard if the public Prosecutor is working properly.
The General Prosecutor Eduard Harunjen has declared that he will not vacate voluntarily from his Post. How will you proceed?
If he does not, we will resort to legislative means. We will create the legal possibility that the General government must answer to a lawyer for his acts and omissions. And especially the failures, there were very many: For example, in the case of the Milliardenraubs of Moldovan banks (2014), as absolutely nothing happened. Everything has been postponed again, until the money could as much as possible of the Republic of Moldova to remove. A few days ago, I spoke with representatives of the international organizations about it: they told me, the Moldovan Prosecutor General’s office have never asked for help in the investigation in the case of this Milliardenraubs.