October 21, 2024
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 21.10.2024, 13:55
Moldova. The pro-European camp in the Republic of Moldova has a slight lead in a referendum on the country’s joining the European Union, with 50.3% of the votes, with 99% of the votes counted. The advantage appears to come from the votes of the Moldovans living abroad, 80% of whom voted in favour of their country’s accession to the EU. The close result is a surprise, as opinion polls ahead of the ballot indicated a comfortable win for the yes vote. The incumbent president Maia Sandu said unprecedented fraud has been committed, in which criminal groups together with hostile foreign forces bought 300,000 votes. Maia Sandu won the first round of Sunday’s presidential elections with 42% of the votes and in the second round will face the Socialists’ pro-Russian candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo, who won 26% of the votes in the first round.
Bucharest. The General Council of the City of Bucharest on Monday approved holding a local referendum on the first round of the presidential elections, on 24th November, with 47 yes votes and 2 no votes. The inhabitants of the city will be asked to answer three questions. The first two were proposed by general mayor Nicuşor Dan and are related to the way in which the money is divided between the Bucharest City Hall and the city sectors and to the issuing of building permits in Bucharest, while the third, proposed by the Social Democratic Party, refers to combating drug use in schools. The three questions are : “Do you agree that the distribution between the Bucharest City Hall and the sectors of the revenues from income taxes and local taxes collected from the inhabitants of Bucharest is approved by the General Council of the City of Bucharest?”; “Do you agree that the General Mayor of Bucharest issues the building permits for the whole of Bucharest?” and “Do you agree that the Bucharest City Hall finance and implement a health education and drug use prevention programme in all schools in Bucharest?”
Corruption. Senator Eugen Pîrvulescu, who is under criminal investigation for instigating influence trading, is heard by the Senate’s legal committee to decide whether an IT search should be conducted. Pîrvulescu was placed under criminal investigation and is to be subject to judicial control as part of a case in which he is accused of instigating buying in influence. While he is under judicial control, Pîrvulescu and other witnesses in the case are obliged to appear before the criminal investigation body whenever they are summoned, are not allowed to leave the country and are not allowed to talk to the other witnesses in the case. Last week, the Chamber of Deputies voted in favour of lifting the immunity of Nelu Tătaru, a former health minister between March and December 2022 and who is accused of bribe taking.
Festival. The Astra International Documentary Film Festival got under way in Sibiu, in the centre, on Sunday evening. More than 100 documentary films are being screened at this year’s edition, which is held this week at various locations across the city, cinemas, performance venues and a special place called New Cinema Dome in the city’s main Square. In the meantime, Bucharest is playing host to the National Theatre Festival, which will come to an end on 28th October.
