The drivers’ protest against the rise in fuel prices continued practically till evening. Towards the end of the working day, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Kiril Gaburici came out from the Government Building and invited a working group that will be formed of protesters to discussions. The meeting will take place on June 7 and will involve representatives of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER), which sets the price ceilings for gasoline and diesel fuel, IPN reports.
The protest started at about 10am when automobilists parked their cars in the Great National Assembly Square. The protesters demanded to decrease the fuel prices. Even if the National Agency for Energy Regulation suspended the last decision to increase the price ceilings, the motorists consider the prices are anyway exaggerated and demand that the Agency should explain the reasons for the rise.
Close to 4pm, Kiril Gaburici came out and said that the NAER enjoys full independence in its activity. He noted that in a discussion with the Agency’s director, he asked that a specialist of the institution should come before the protesters and explain how the fuel prices are formed. “We, for our part, encourage the NAER to make a more detailed and transparent analysis for us all,” stated the minister.
It was ultimately agreed to hold a meeting in the Government Building with representatives of the protesters and of the National Agency for Energy Regulation.
In the second half of the day, the section of Stefan cel Mare Blvd at the intersection with Pushkin St was closed to traffic. Expert Sergiu Ungureanu, one of the protesters, said not the protesters, but the police block traffic so that the people are dissatisfied and blame the demonstrators.
For their part, representatives of the police said these are security measures that need to be taken.
Being present at the protest, deputy head of the General Police Inspectorate Gheorghe Cavcaliuc said there were no declared organizers in the previous protest, but today five persons said they organized the event. About 250 vehicles were involved in the June 3 protest. Today the number varied in the course of the day, but didn’t exceed 90 units of transport.
