Chisinau mayor and leader of the MAN party, Ion Ceban, announced that his formation will initiate a national referendum on local public administration reform and submit a draft resolution to Parliament to organize the vote.
In a message published on social media, Ceban argued that the proposed administrative-territorial reform represents “not modernization, but a forced liquidation of villages,” claiming that between 600 and 700 mayoralties could disappear as a result of the reorganization.
“The Moldovan village must be saved, not eliminated,” Ceban said, accusing the authorities of exerting political pressure and “financial blackmail” against local administrations. He also argued that school closures, depopulation, and youth emigration are weakening rural communities.
“A village without a school, a mayor’s office, and a church is a village condemned,” he added.
The MAN leader stated that his party does not oppose reform itself but supports what it describes as a “fair and democratic” approach. In this context, he proposed amending the Constitution to eliminate district councils, which he called “inefficient and politicized structures,” while increasing local autonomy and ensuring direct funding for villages.
Ceban said MAN will register a parliamentary draft resolution calling for a national referendum on the future of local public administration reform.
“Citizens must decide the future of their villages,” he stated.
Under the reform concept currently being discussed, more than 790 mayoralties are participating in a voluntary amalgamation process. The proposal includes establishing a minimum population threshold of 3,000 residents for each mayoralty, reducing the number of districts from 32 to 10, reorganizing public services, and providing additional financial incentives for localities that choose to merge.
Government officials argue that reform is necessary because many mayoralties have limited financial resources and depend heavily on transfers from the state budget, which constrains investment and affects access to public services.