Ion Ceban, Mayor of the capital and leader of the National Alternative Movement (MAN), participated in the roundtable discussion titled “Towards a broad political and social consensus on the reform of local public administration in the Republic of Moldova: visions and functional solutions”, organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and stated that through the local public administration reform, the government seeks to blackmail mayors and impose “voluntary,” yet mandatory, amalgamation.

“This was the first broad discussion at a roundtable with several involved actors, but key figures from the leadership of Action and Solidarity Party, who are in fact organizing this reform with major deviations, were absent, just as it happens with all reforms initiated in the social and legal fields, and now also in education and local public administration.

Decision-makers must come before mayors and society: Igor Grosu, Alexei Buzu and President Maia Sandu, who has spoken positively about this reform, while mayors and CALM express the opposite view regarding this process”, he said.

Ion Ceban also stated that mayors support administrative reform, but not at the cost of destroying and liquidating the country’s localities.