Press Review: The gas delivery scheme on the left bank of the Nistru - a "game" of the Kremlin against the authorities of the Republic of Moldova?
The new gas delivery scheme on the left bank of the Nistru: the opinions of experts, but also the final decision in the case of the President of the Constitutional Court, Domnica Manole versus the General Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Justice, are some of the press topics reviewed.
The new gas delivery scheme in the left bank of the Nistru would resume financing the separatist regime. Moldova 1 TV offers the opinion of experts in the field who believe that by accepting this scheme, Russia would perpetuate its influence in the separatist region it controls. Eugen Muravschi, an energy expert, says that the Government should have insisted more on the Transnistrian region accepting EU aid. In turn, former MP Alexandr Slusari said that the new gas procurement mechanism will allow the Transnistrian region to keep its industry, including cryptocurrency farms, operating and benefiting from reduced tariffs.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe, commentator Nicolae Negru wonders how long Russia will be able to “credit” this gas to the left bank of the Nistru. He believes that in the summer, the biggest problem that Transnistrian region will face is the budget. Under these conditions, “how will social obligations towards the inhabitants of this region be honored?”, Nicolae Negru asks. However, commentator Igor Boțan insists that the new scheme is “a game” played by the Kremlin against the Moldovan authorities. We note that the secessionist authorities have refused EU aid, and since February 14, gas supplies have been made through a credit offered to Tiraspol by Moscow under unclear conditions.
Out of 800 thousand lei, the President of the Constitutional Court is left with only 300,000 – moral damage for three years of being under accusation, without foundation. Ziarul de Garda writes that on Friday, the Supreme Court of Justice admitted the appeals filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice in the civil case in which Domnica Manola was awarded 800 thousand lei because prosecutors illegally opened a file in her name. Thus, the SCJ modified the previous decisions by reducing the amount to 300,000 lei. Manole, who was indicted for knowingly pronouncing a decision contrary to the law, had requested 1 million lei in court for moral damages.
Some prosecutors file cases and intimidate the vetting commission, writes agora.md, referring to the statement of the Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu. According to him, "the evaluation of prosecutors takes even longer, because some prosecutors do everything possible to slow down the process." The Speaker mentioned that prosecutors, who must be evaluated, do not present certain information or open criminal cases. In this way, the evaluation process becomes a long one. The statement was made in the context in which the authorities propose to merge the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office with the PCCOCS, an initiative that has aroused much criticism, including among PAS deputies.
The Council of Europe strongly supports the “desire for human rights in the Transnistrian region”, but it is also up to the Moldovan authorities to ensure good respect for human rights in the secessionist region. Free Europe proposes an interview with the Secretary General of the Council, Alain Berset. He also stressed that the human rights situation in separatist territories such as Transnistrian region, “is quite complicated because it is quite difficult for CoE representatives to have access” and to monitor the state of affairs, as they can do on the right bank of the Nistru.
Ziarul de Garda announces that the National Institute of Justice has a new director. It is the former MEP from Romania, Ramona Victoria Strugariu, who won the competition. Ramona Victoria Strugariu and Natalia Balaban were admitted to the interview test, but the latter withdrew from the competition, reads a press release from the INJ. After deliberation, by the majority vote of the institute's council, it was decided that Ramona Victoria Strugariu would assume the position of director of the National Institute of Justice.
Romanian Orthodoxy in Bessarabia, under the Kremlin's siege: threatened altars, persecuted clergy and oppressed believers. Deschide.md proposes the article by columnist Mihai Isac, who writes that in recent times there has been a wave of attacks on Romanian churches in the Republic of Moldova, either through attempts to seize Romanian churches or through infamous attacks on the canonicity of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate. In the article, he mentions the case of the Church of the "Holy Martyrs of Brancove" in Soroca, under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, which risks being left without land and the possibility of expanding its construction. He also talks about an "open letter" addressed to the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, which seeks to discredit the appointment of a vicar bishop for the Archdiocese of Chisinau, Metropolis of Bessarabia.
The national publications on February 14 wrote about the 90th anniversary of the birth of the Romanian poet Grigore Vieru. In addition to the events organized throughout the country, Moldova 1 reports on the launch of a collection of poems by the poet, in the Azerbaijani language. The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Chisinau, Ulvi Bakhshaliyev noted that readers in Azerbaijan know about the great Romanian poet Grigore Vieru, calling him one of the great poets of the 20th century.
