The National Alternative Movement Party, led by Ion Ceban, has proposed organizing a national referendum on the reform of local public administration. During a press conference, Ceban said he opposes what he described as the arbitrary closure of 600 town halls across the country.
“Tomorrow, your village may be left without a town hall and you will have to travel 20 to 30 kilometers to solve an issue. The government has no document clearly explaining what the so called reform will look like and why it is necessary to liquidate 600 town halls. This rush hides a political scheme aimed at subordinating as many remaining mayors as possible and creating regional political forces around them to serve PAS, just as they have brought all state institutions under control. Even senior European Union officials recently said in Chisinau that the local public administration reform must have broad consensus so people can decide what they want,” Ceban stated.
The MAN called on all opposition parliamentary factions to support the referendum initiative.
In response, Government Secretary General Alexei Buzu wrote on Facebook that Mayor Ceban promotes dialogue publicly but spreads false accusations about the reform. He said such disinformation does not contribute to improving the reform and instead frightens people and divides society.
“Each amalgamation decision is voluntary and chosen by the communities themselves. The Government will continue to encourage amalgamation, offer financial incentives, and simplify procedures. A strong community decides for itself and has the resources to develop. This reform is not about redrawing the map. It involves impact assessments, rigorous implementation, and identifying financial guarantees. That requires responsibility and commitment, not statements that trivialize the subject,” Buzu wrote.
At the end of January, the Government of the Republic of Moldova officially announced the launch of preparations for the local public administration reform. Authorities expect to present the draft concept at the end of February or early March. They plan to finalize the technical aspects afterward and submit draft laws to Parliament in the autumn.