Communists and Alliance members clash during first meeting of committee to investigate April events

Alliance members and Communist M.P.s clashed today during the first meeting of the committee to investigate the April events.

On April 6, a day after the Party of Communists was announced the winner of legislative elections, peaceful protesters came out into the street to demonstrate against the Communists. Protests continued on April 7, but toward the afternoon a group of violent men and women began throwing stones at police officers guarding the Parliament and Presidential buildings, eventually making their way inside and setting fire to a few floors.

On the night of April 7, security forces started a mass repression campaign that ended with the detainment of 700 people and beating and torture of about 300 of them, according to a recent Soros Foundation report.

The legislature recently formed a committee to investigate these events, which held its first meeting today.

During discussions, committee head Vitalie Nagacevschi (Liberal Democrats) clashed with deputy committee head Vadim Misin (Communists) over whether various expert reports and mass media investigations should be included in a report on the April 5 elections. Mr. Misin questioned the validity of these reports.

Anti-Communist parties, which now form the ruling Alliance for European Integration, have accused the Communists of stealing the April 5 elections. That was one of the reasons why they refused to vote for a Communist presidential candidate and pushed for early legislative elections on July 29.

Mr. Nagacevschi also noted that Party of Communists head and former President Vladimir Voronin (2001-2009) may be subject to questioning by the committee. Mr. Voronin was President during the April events.

The next committee meeting will be held on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

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