Unrest in Moldovan Capital: Opposition Holds Two Massive Rival Protests

CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Two massive protests organized by Moldovan right-wing and left-wing opposition in the capital’s center on Sunday, leads to unanimous adoption of a resolution calling for the resignation of country’s Prime Minister Pavel Filip, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

"The government must resign, it is time to demand its resignation. But before that, let everything return to normal — let them annul all anti-popular laws," PDA, the Dignity and Truth Platform Party, leader Andrei Nastase said, adding that the protesters are ready to come to the parliament’s building at the start autumn session on September 3 and reiterate their demands.

Following the demonstrations, protesters in the Moldovan capital have also unanimously adopted a abolition of the law on tax amnesty and end of political persecution of the opposition.

The opposition is also calling on the government to recognize the results of election of the mayor of Chisinau.

According to the latest police reports, over 6,500 people came to the demonstration on Sunday.​

Earlier in the day, Nastase said that "Sor’s supporters illegally occupied the square, they do not have authorization, very soon, in a maximum of half an hour, the area will be ours." 

After that, the right-wing opposition started to throw plastic bottles with water at their opponents, while some attendants tried to break through police cordons.

#Moldova #Statecapture https://t.co/JLHFSRRlIK

— Pavel Grecu (@pavel_grecu) August 26, 2018

​As a result, the left-wing opposition has left the square, saying that "we have peacefully conducted this demonstration and we intend to peacefully conclude it. We will calmly go home."

#Moldova #protests —people are fed up with the corrupt government and the oligarch Plahotniuc embezzling the country pic.twitter.com/Uw08Q22zkL

— Diana Grigoriev (@Didispace) August 26, 2018

The right-wing’s demonstration was organized by the PDA, the Party of Action and Solidarity and the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova. The opposition is calling on the government to recognize the results of the election of the mayor of Chisinau.

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The left-wing opposition is represented by the Republican Socio-Political Movement Equality (Sor) Party, with hundreds of supporters attending the demonstrations to express their disagreement with the right-wing parties.

Early elections of the mayor in the capital of Moldova were held in two stages, the second round was held on June 3. According to the Central Electoral Commission, Nastase won over 52 percent of votes. The Supreme Court of Justice on June 25 recognized the election as invalid because of campaigning on the election day, and the Central Electoral Commission on June 29 annulled the results of the vote. In response, the opposition vowed to hold protests until the results would be recognized by the Moldovan authorities.

Moldovan diaspora also largely supports the right-wing opposition and plans to hold protests in Brussels, London, Paris and Washington, among other cities.