Usatii: Under the Pretext of Fighting against Coronavirus, Authorities Violate the Constitution and Lead towards Dictatorship

Under the pretext of fighting against the coronavirus epidemic, the Moldovan authorities violate the rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution and lead towards establishing an open dictatorship. Renato Usatii, Our Party chairman, wrote this on his official Facebook page, btv.md reports. “The Television and Radio Coordinating Council (the TRCC) has barred TV hosts and participants from expressing their views on “topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic”. The Constitution says that the media are not censored, with the provision that the right to information should not prejudice measures aimed at protecting citizens or national security. But the decision of the TRCC has nothing to do with the protection of citizens and national security. It prohibits in principle to express any opinion about coronavirus other than official. This is pure censorship, which the authorities impose in order to shield themselves from any criticism in connection with their belated actions, or inaction, in an epidemic. It will be possible to punish television channels and journalists for any opinion, even the most competent and constructive, which the authorities will not like,” Renato Usatii wrote. He noted that along with the censorship introduction, the Emergency Commission adopts orders that also limit the constitutional rights to work, access to justice, and judicial protection, and the Ministry of Defense lets armored vehicles with machine guns on the streets to intimidate people. “This is no longer an emergency, but a special or war-like situation. Under the pretext of fighting an epidemic, the authorities are openly violating the Constitution, leading towards establishing an open dictatorship, and all the corruption schemes inherited from the Plahotniuc regime are kept and “improved” silently. If they think they shut everyone up, then they are mistaken. Sooner or later, the epidemic and emergency will end, but we will all remember them, and they will take responsibility for everything. By law,” Renato Usatii promised.