“OLVIA-PRESS”

IN TIRASPOL, THE DMR PRESIDENT HAD A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF PUBLIC ASSOCIATIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES.

Before celebration of the 12^th anniversary of the Dniester Moldavian Republic, the DMR President Igor Smirnov had a traditional meeting with representatives of the DMR public associations and political parties. According to the DMR Registration Court, in the DMR there are 2 political parties and 447 public associations registered. Among them there are peacekeeping associations, national organizations of the handicapped, sportsmen, youth, and many others.

At the meeting, there were also present representatives of the DMR Ministers’ Cabinet, heads of state administrations of towns and districts of Dniestria, and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Having a speech for the guests, the head of the state have told details about the issue of settling relationship between Moldova and Dniestria, as well as the economic situation in the republic. He also informed about position of the DMR authority regarding withdrawal of the engineering and weapons of the Russian army.

Igor Smirnov remarked that Moldova still continues the economic war against Dniestria, thus violating all agreements achieved before between the DMR and RM. As result, our enterprises have lost about $ 100 million in the commodities turnover. Also, despite declarations of Voronin that payments for custom certificates would be transferred to Dniestria, since August 2001 no single US dollar from those $830 thousand, paid by our enterprises to the Moldavian organizations, had been returned to the DMR.

Igor Smirnov said, “Because of Moldova’s actions, our people would hardly love it passionately. And it’s clear what kind of interest the RM president has towards our republic. Vladimir Voronin said having had a speech, ‘By uniting with Dniestria, we will benefit our property together’. Today 70% of the RM budget consists of custom fees; in our opinion, it’s an economic catastrophe for a state”.

Igor Smirnov underlined, that position of the Dniestrian authority on issue of holding negotiations with the RM consists in the following: “Until the economic blockade is stopped, negotiations will not be under way on a proper level”. At the Kiev meeting, there was signed a protocol, according to which ‘all agreements achieved before are recognized by both parties’ and will be respected furthermore. In spite of that, the RM authority still continues the economic war. Even the fact that both Russian and Ukrainian communities condemn such methods does not stop them. Even the RF Ambassador in the RM Petrovski agreed that the economic blockade was not profitable either for Moldova or for the DMR.

The DMR President remarked, “Trying to cause sanctions of the international community against Dniestria, they were accusing us of smuggling, drug trafficking, and even in terrorism. But here is that a year has already passed, and all our commodities turnover is under control of Moldova, and when Mr. Petrovski was asked, where the smuggling was, he found no answer”.

Concerning issue of the draft Agreement, which was actively discussed these days in Moldova, Igor Smirnov remarked, “that document was presented not for publication and discussion, though one tried to make us involve that process. Its authorship is not established yet. I was personally trying to found out who was the author of that draft: neither the OSCE, nor Russia, nor the Ukraine, nor Moldova recognized their authorship.

We have prepared our own variant of the draft Agreement. In this document we adhere to the idea of confederate system of Moldova. The plan of Primakov is taken as the basis. Today in Moldova, concealed nationalism is observed; at any moment it may burst out. That’s why we should protect us from any of its manifestations. Moreover that it’s well known, what way it usually finishes. And the mediators actually do not care about the basis on which we are going to come to an agreement with Moldova. That’s why we should defend ourselves”.

Having mentioned the issue of withdrawal and utilization of the armored vehicles and weaponry of the Russian army, Igor Smirnov emphasized, “Until we are given back $ 100 million for the already withdrawn vehicles and weaponry, we will not let withdraw anything”. Reaction of the audience towards such a declaration was more than approving: near all the people sitting in the hall said that they were against withdrawal of vehicles and barbarian destruction of ammunition and weaponry. Moreover that the military property for $ 1 billion 100 million is already withdrawn.

Concerning issue of privatization of enterprises of the Dniestrian industrial complex, Igor Smirnov emphasized, “all enterprises included into the list of privatization should hold de-statalization and sale of joint-stocks within shortest terms, and should be ready for 100% to arrival of investors”.

A true democratic approach towards resolution of problems was demonstrated at the meeting. In particular, answering questions asked by representatives of public associations and concerning healthcare, the head of the state readdressed them to the profile ministry and obliged it to negotiate with all whom the ministry denied audience. These words were met with applause. Igor Smirnov emphasized, “each ministry should define a day when there will be held reception of representatives of public associations. The people should receive maximal respect, and issues should be operative resolved. They are expressers of the public opinion; they are representatives of our society”.

Problems of reception of citizenship and opening of consulate of Russia and the Ukraine in the DMR territory also concern the public of the Dniester Moldavian Republic. The head of the state informed that according to data presented by the DMR Ministry, the Ukraine plans opening of its consulate in Dniestria, there is also a piece of information, that the RF ministry of foreign affairs budget for the next year has presumed a certain article of costs for opening of the RF General consulate in the DMR. Igor Smirnov emphasized, “But in spite of willingness of these states to work immediately in Dniestria, the Moldavian authority anyway tries to impede it”.

Inhabitants of northern districts of our Republic are deprived of possibility to watch program of the DMR TV, RTR (‘Russian Television’ channel – note of the translator), and ORT (The ‘Public Russian Television’ channel – note of the translator) in full volume because of difficult relief of the land. The DMR minister of information and telecommunications informed the public, as far as starting with September 2^nd, citizens of the northern territories will get an opportunity to watch TV programs of these channels, because special equipment will be installed and put into action, which would allow to receive the signal right from the satellite, and rebroadcast it to TV receivers of citizens. It will let improve quality of received programs, and will nullify its dependence on weather conditions.

The issue of bread prices in different towns and districts of the DMR also concerns people of our republic. For example, in the town of Kamenka and in Kamenka region, the bread prices are the highest throughout the republic, and considerably differ from those in Bendery and Tiraspol. This question was asked to the President. Right in the hall, Igor Smirnov gave a message to heads of administrations to study the problem and to reduce the difference of the bread prices. For that, as the head of the state said, all resources of the state administrations should be used.

The meeting with the President demonstrated that problems of our population are responded on all levels of the executive power. And approaches towards resolution of problems by their democratic character may be compared only with the most promoted democratic states.

I.Letiaga.