The parents of soldiers who died in the army, supported by the “Soldiers’ Mothers” Association, Wednesday demanded that Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta be dismissed, IPN reports.
The protest was staged one hour before the Cabinet’s meeting and started with a moment’s silence in memory of the nine soldiers who died over the last four years. Nine candles were lit there near nine bouquets of flowers.
The participants carried placards with the inscriptions: “We don’t want such a minister”, “We don’t want such an army”, “Vitalie Marinuta, you bear responsibility for the death of our children”, “Marinuta – dismissal!”.
The people who gathered in front of the Government Building said Marinuta should resign because he cannot manage the ministry. The mother of the young man from Balti who died in August said the authorities didn’t react to their tragedy. None of the officials offered at least condolences to the family.
On a social networking site, Vitalie Marinuta commented that soldiers’ mothers are directed and paid to protest. He calls them ‘marionettes of political forces’ and asks himself ‘how much an hour of protest costs’. The minister said the women were repeatedly invited to visit the military units and to discuss with the servicemen, but they refused.
According to statistics of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the military prosecutors recorded 147 offenses in the National Army and the Carabineer Troops so far this year.
