Thursday, November 19, 2009

Communist symbols need to be banned: NGO headed by Democratic Party deputy president Oleg Serebrian

The European Movement, a non-governmental organization headed by Democratic Party (DP) deputy president Oleg Serebrian, held a press conference today, during which Mr. Serebrian asked for Communist symbols like the hammer and the sickle to be banned.

Another DP member, Igor Klipii, noted that a draft law stipulating such measures "needs to be initiated before early legislative elections, because it would be a crime if we allowed what happened in the last few months to go by unnoticed, and for the Party of Communists to have an electoral campaign in which it manipulates with the same dogmas and demagogic ideas that still, unfortunately, hold sway in Moldova."

Mr. Serebrian added: "remove the Communist hammer and the sickle and then try to show me where the Party of Communists is located in the electoral list. If they [Imedia: the Communists] cause new legislative elections, they need to take that responsibility."

The DP deputy head is suggesting that the Communists' popularity is considerably tied to the symbols they use, which many Moldovans nostalgic for the Soviet Union recognize and have an emotional attachment to.

Communist M.P. Grigore Petrenco said that the DP was thusly trying to "intimidate and blackmail" his party to vote for a head of state.

The ruling Alliance for European Integration has 53 seats in the 101-seat legislature, eight short of the 61 it needs to elect DP head Marian Lupu President. Those eight votes can only come from the Communists. The DP has, in the last few weeks, been trying to convince the Communists to vote for a President, but the former ruling party has refused. In fact, Communist head and former President (2001-2009) Vladimir Voronin decided to go on vacation a few days ago. He is currently in the Czech Republic with his wife.

www.info-prim.md

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