Democratic Party president Marian Lupu offered more details about the latest expulsions from the party, such as the exclusion of the four members of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia, the head of the Moldovan Railways, Andrei Domascan, and the voluntary departure of one of the party leaders, Valeriu Guma. Lupu's revealings were made during the Publika TV's Fabrika talk-show on February 13, IPN reports.
He said that the four members of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia had succumbed to pressure and broke the law and the party discipline, which is incompatible with membership in PDM.
As regards the sentence of former Democrat MP Valeriu Guma, ruled by Romanian courts, it was appealed at the European Court of Human Rights. The PDM head said that should Guma win the appeal, “the doors would be open for his return”. Lupu described Guma's decision to quit the party as “an act of great responsibility” which will protect the party against “dirty attacks” ahead of elections. The Democrat leader valued Guma not only as a sponsor of the party, but as “a very competent specialist who will be hard to replace”. Lupu is also puzzled that the Romanian authorities didn't notify their Moldovan counterparts although there was a final sentence against Guma.
Commenting on the sacking of the head of the Moldovan Railways, Lupu said that he was simply not up to the task. “We offered Domascan time to assert himself and showcase his abilities, but he didn't meet the requirements”. The PDM leader denied this was a purge of the party before elections, claiming it was only a coincidence and that “ those not up to it have always been sacked”.
Marian Lupu labeled the situation of Romanian-language schools in Transnistria a provocation “just like the Gagauz referendum” before the signing of the Association Agreement and the liberalization of the visa regime. According to Lupu, geopolitical interests in the region are high and the Transnistrian conflict is such a geopolitical issue that can be solved only via the “5+2” format of negotiations.
Asked by a viewer about the introduction of the glossonym “Romanian language” in the Constitution of Moldova, the Democrat leader said that the problem should be solved via a referendum. Lupu said he speaks the Moldovan language, but he also respects all those who say they speak Romanian.
