PSRM MPs, together with colleagues from the opposition, blocked the Parliament rostrum today and later walked out of the plenary session in protest against what they described as censorship, restrictions on freedom of expression, and authoritarian practices by the PAS parliamentary majority, TRIBUNA reports.

The protest was triggered by actions of the governing majority, which restricted opposition MPs’ access to the microphones, effectively preventing them from fully participating in parliamentary debates.

Speaking from the central rostrum, Igor Dodon, leader of the PSRM parliamentary faction, stressed that Parliament must remain a platform for democratic debate, not “a private office of a single political party.”

“Yes, some temporarily hold a parliamentary majority, others are in the opposition — we have all gone through different stages in this Parliament. But this is a platform for discussion, not the private headquarters of a political party,” Igor Dodon stated.

He recalled the events of 8 June 2019, when, under what he described as conditions of a captured state, the parliamentary session began “without lights and without microphones,” warning of the risk of repeating such practices.

Dodon urged the parliamentary majority to respect democratic principles and the opposition’s right to express its views: “We do not all have to agree — it would not be right or necessary. We are not in North Korea.”

According to Dodon, the entire parliamentary opposition — 46 MPs — firmly rejects what they consider to be actions by the PAS majority that undermine the institution of parliamentarism in the Republic of Moldova.

As a sign of protest, opposition MPs decided not to participate in today’s plenary session, despite the fact that there were draft laws they were prepared to support.

“We call on the parliamentary majority to return to respecting the rules and to a normal dialogue within the parliamentary platform,” Igor Dodon said.