In an interview for TRIBUNA portal, ex-deputy Valeriu Munteanu, ex-minister, the former candidate from the Bloc NOW in the constituency no. 18 Orhei – Calarasi in the February 24, 2019 elections, talked about the results of elections, why no unionist party has acceded to Parliament, what will he do further, if it will run again at the Capital City Hall, but also about other important issues.

T: How do you qualify the result of the parliamentary elections, especially the result of the bloc NOW?

V.M.: I have followed and participated for about 20 years in the elections, and I am certain that these elections were the most complicated, or the order word in this poll was “fear.” Never ordinary people, especially those working in the state or doing business, were not afraid of the coercive apparatus of the state as in these parliamentary elections. And of course this generalized fear plus many administrative resources and many millions of dollars used by the PD and the Şor Party haveput their mark on these elections and the result of the scrutiny. The best results of the elections are in Chisinau, where the PD took only 13%, where the world is freer, more independent and cannot be controlled so easily, the result of the government was disastrous for them, instead in the villages small and very small, they forced everyone to vote for them. I am sure that if early elections were held and PD would be “deprived” of the coercive army of the state, administrative resources and millions of dollars used, their result would be the highest one recorded in Chisinau, and their annexe, the Şor Party would never go in Parliament, or the PD had allocated two constituencies to Şor, where he invested many millions of dollars, which materialized in many votes, for example at Orhei, the Şor Party accounted for 55% and in Nisporeni only 0.64% , where Shor was forbidden to come, bring his social shops there, take and bring people by buses to Orhei Land and other well-packaged and well-presented lies.

The Bloc NOW, fought without money, without resources, whipped from all sides, and yet it won more votes than the Democratic Party. It is a good result, but not enough to change the situation in Moldova.

PD now has 40 mandates in the Parliament (PD + ŞP + 3 independents), which is a very poor result for a ruling party, the weakest in the last 20 years. But the number of mandates accumulated during the electionS has never been an indicator for the PD. Let’s see how it will be this time.

T: In your opinion, why does not any unionist party acceded in Parliament?

V.M.: Because disappointment was too great. The Unionists are the most careful voters in the Republic of Moldova, who also follow the political life of the Republic of Moldova and Romania and have not been able to swallow the half-measures and juggling from the Democratic Party. The Unionists considered  that a party wishing to represent them was only for the Union and Velicorus imperialism was not enough, they considered that a unionist party must also fight against the indigenous oligarchy, or the majority of the unionist parties had a clear history of cohabitation and/or obvious collaboration with the PD, which disqualified them, and  90% of votes of the unionists went to the Bloc NOW, which also assumed to represent the unionists in Bessarabia.

T.: Now, after the parliamentary elections, do you regret that you have withdrawn from PL?

V.M.: I left the PL because I wanted to contribute to the removal of PDM from  Government, being absolutely sure that only together, united around the BLOCK NOW, we can do this. The results of last summer local elections were a good lesson for me, after which I was able to preview the general outline of the parliamentary elections and I did not make a mistake.

PL did not want to join the Bloc NOW, walked separately, and even campaigned to try to dissolve the bloc NOW and its leaders. I am absolutely sure that the ” effort “of PL poured plenty of water at the PD mill, or the vehemently projected messages in the public space by the PL leader contributed to the increased absenteeism of the unionists. And technically speaking, the presence in the campaign and the results recorded by PL and some dissident elements from PLDM, broke from the BLOCK NOW about 4-5 mandates. I believe PD has positively appreciated this effort.

T.: Why did not you find yourself on the national list of the Bloc NOW?

V.M.: It was my personal choice. I have been a deputy already three times and I do not see this function as an end in itself. In politics, outside Parliament, I am as well and comfortably as in Parliament. I did not leave PL to become a deputy, I went to support democracy in the Republic of Moldova, hoping to bring Bessarabia closer to Romania, and participation in the constituency no. 18 against the  Penal Şor was a conscious and assumed one. I knew very well how many millions of dollars we suspect came from the theft of the billion, invested Şor in poverty in Orhei and the surrounding villages, and I knew this argument – money – is irresistible for our people, but that’s how I saw the involvement unconditionally and with a lot of work, because I could have been campaigning and waiting for election day, but I have not done and will never do that, I have been and will be a team man who worked in every day of the campaign, and we have been in every village in the constituency of at least 3-4 times, and we have produced many campaign events, including a lot of effort on the legal dimension, in an attempt to prove the election fraud … but my efforts struck to the protective cord of state, formed around Şor.

T .: Since you haven’t obtained the mandate of the deputy. Have you already decided what will you do further?

V.M.: I will not leave politics. I want to continue to offer my knowledge, my work and my energy to the people of the Republic of Moldova and to straighten Bessarabia on the path of the Union with Romania.

T.: Have you not thought of joining one of the two parties that form the bloc NOW? Generally, you analyze the possibility of joining a political party in the future?

V.M.: I am a long run runner, but politics is a team “game”, you can not get and keep anything, but absolutely nothing in politics, without the team. The team must represent you and represent the goals and your political aspirations. I personally do not see how I can work and be productive in a team – a party whose ideological goals I do not share. Excluded.

Even if some time has passed since the elections, I was been “flooded” with all sorts of explicit proposals to join to or even to take over the leadership of some parties, there have been made respectful proposals within the bloc NOW.

I’ll have to make a decision.

T.: If we will have early elections, will you run again from the bloc NOW?

V.M.: The bloc NOW  has participated at a high level in the parliamentary elections and I declare with all responsibility that I am satisfied with the collaboration I have had in this scrutiny.

I hope that the decision makers of the Bloc will make judicious judgments for the correct and dignified representation of those who have voted for NOW, and if the complicated but interesting political situation will lead to early elections, I do not think that the paradigm of opposition should be changed. Some tactical issues can be changed based on the lessons learned after these elections.

T.: Generally, how do you think the events in the Moldovan politics will continue to evolve?

V.M.: We do not expect golden mountains or rivers of milk. The example of these elections, when it was obvious to all that Ilan Şor was the executor of the theft of the billion, but he was elected a deputy, bringing with him, through the will of Plahotniuc , a few friends that would serve the Democratic Party, discourage the people with normal thinking and behavior , or this accident with the election in Parliament of the criminal Şor will develop a stream of political thinking that “you steal a lot, give people a little, and then they are impoverished, they vote for you again in Parliament and continue so. “

T: Thank you!

Andriana Cheptine

Translator: Mihaela Grosu