Popsoi and Diacov Told about Negotiations between ACUM and PDM and Why Nothing Comes of This. Each Has His Own Version

Mihai Popsoi, a member of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), published the text of a declaration on his Facebook page on February 18, which his faction planned to sign with MPs from the Democratic Party (PDM). Popsoi noted that the Democrats first participated in the drafting of the document, and now they are postponing its signing. “Last night I understood why,” Popsoi wrote, hinting at a meeting between the PDM leadership and the socialists in parliament with the participation of President Igor Dodon and Prime Minister Ion Chicu. PDM honorary chairman Dumitru Diacov reacted to Popsoi’s publication, saying that PAS and DA had changed the declaration, and now Democrats can’t vote for it. A deputy from PAS said that over the past two weeks he and his colleagues had been trying to meet with the Democrats to discuss the final version of the declaration, in which European integration is declared Moldova’s strategic and unchanged course, then to vote for it in parliament. “Although the colleagues from the PDM have made a consistent contribution to the elaboration of the document, they refused to meet to complete the document. Last night I understood why. We regret the lack of consistency and devotion to most Moldovans’ aspirations to follow the European course, fight corruption, ensure independence of the judiciary and economic reforms,” Popsoi wrote. Diacov reacted to Popsoi’s remark, who wrote on his Facebook page that amendments to the declaration made by PAS deprive the Democrats of the opportunity to vote for it. “I suggest you read three texts - the first version of PAS and DA, the second version with our additions, for which we are ready to vote at any time, and the last “contribution” of DA, which mentions nothing about the European integration. I’m wondering if they deliberately made such amendments to exclude any possibility of voting for European integration,” Diacov noted. Recall, on February 14, the head of the PAS faction, Igor Grosu, said that the ACUM bloc and the Democratic Party are taking the first steps for open interaction in parliament. Grosu said PAS will take some steps to start coalition-based decision making along with PDM. “I can’t reveal the details, but this will relate to a more strategic cooperation between the parties, including on foreign policy and some statements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Aureliu Ciocoy, as well as a vote of no confidence put forward by our party and the DA party,” Grosu noted. The deputy from PAS several times emphasized that much will depend on how internal reforms will be carried out in the Democratic Party. At the same time, he added, it is clear that the PDM “is ashamed to say that they are in a coalition with the socialists.” At the same time, the day before, a meeting of deputies from PDM and PSRM with President Igor Dodon and Prime Minister Ion Chicu was held in the parliament. Dodon said that the meeting participants discussed the “launch of large-scale medium and long-term projects aimed at further improving the lives of our people”, as well as cooperation of the parliament, government and president in these projects.