AEI MPs reject Communists’ proposal to hold parliamentary hearings

Most of the MPs of the ruling alliance rejected the Communist group’s proposal to hold parliamentary hearings on the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press in Moldova. Several Communist MPs went to the June 13 meeting of the Standing Bureau, but left it in several minutes, saying their proposal wasn’t accepted on the instructions of First Deputy Speaker Vlad Plahotniuc, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Today, we understood who governs the country. We went to the meeting in the name of our faction and asked including such issues as the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press in Moldova in the agenda of the next sitting of Parliament. We can now say: welcome to Moldova of Vlad Plahotniuc,” stated Communist lawmaker Iurie Muntean. The head of the Liberal parliamentary group Ion Hadirca said that the Communist MPs did not clearly argue their proposal. “I think that the press does not consider that its rights are infringed. I do not see the necessity of such hearings. We will welcome them if they submit constructive proposals,” he said, denying that he voted against the Communists’ proposal on the instructions of Vlad Plahotniuc. The leader of the Democratic faction Dumitru Diacov also said that the Communists’ request wasn’t justified. “I believe that the legislature will return to this idea, but not in three minutes,” stated the MP. The Communists stopped attending the Parliament’s sittings in February.