We Won the First Battle, but the War Continues. What the Combatants Achieved in Negotiations with Chicu

In the evening of March 2, the government held talks with Prime Minister Ion Chicu and representatives of veterans of the Dniester conflict who were protesting all day. NM briefly explains how an hour-and-a-half discussion ended. The government will create a new department At the request of veterans, the government will create a special executive body to deal with the problems of veterans. Already on March 3, at 7.00 in the morning, representatives of the protesters will again meet with Chicu and other government officials to discuss how the new body will be functioning. Ciocoi himself will address his resignation One of the “fundamental” demands of the protesters was the resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Aureliu Ciocoi. They repeatedly emphasized that he “insulted” them in his own words about the Transdniestrian conflict. Recall that Ciocoi said at a press conference that the 1992 conflict on the Dniester “provoked certain separatist forces in the Transdniestrian region”. “And speaking of the facts, the army of the Russian Federation, stationed in the Transdniestrian region at that time, intervened to stop the bloodshed,” he added. Ciocoi later stated that the media had taken it out of context and misrepresented his statement in order to cause a scandal. He explained that he was talking about peacekeepers. In response to this demand, Chicu noted that Ciocoi “will make a decision” about his resignation on his own. “But I think that his explanation was sufficient, he said that he was talking about peacekeepers,” the prime minister stressed. Nonetheless, the combatants called on Ciocoi to come and apologize to them. Medical policies for veterans will be lifelong During a meeting with combatants, Chicu promised that medical policies for veterans would be lifelong. They will receive them, whether or not they are working now. New Memorial Day will be discussed Combatants also demanded that a new day of remembrance and recognition of war veterans be instituted in Moldova. In response, Chicu only promised that this possibility still needs to be discussed with other veterans and representatives of government departments. The protesters did not get a clear answer. Social benefits will also be discussed According to Chicu, he cannot promise to “increase benefits by ten”, because “the state does not have much money”, and for him the priority is the construction of roads and other projects important for those living in Moldova and creating jobs. However, the opportunity to increase benefits for veterans will still be discussed, according to the prime minister. Following the talks, protest leaders said from the stage on the Great National Assembly Square that “we won the first battle, but the war continues.” *** Recall, on March 2, an anti-government protest was held near the government building. The protesters, mainly veterans of the Dniester war, demanded the resignation of the government. They chanted: “We are the people, Dodon is the traitor”, “Chicu to the dump with Ciocoi”, “Away with Dodon”, “Away with the government”. They also demanded special social guarantees for veterans of the war on the Dniester. During the rally, the area of ​​the Great National Assembly, Pushkin and Benulescu-Bodoni streets were blocked. This way, the protesters sought negotiations with Prime Minister Ion Chicu in the presence of journalists. At about 6 p.m. they agreed to unblock the roads, and traffic resumed.