CHIŞINĂU (Imedia) -
Interim President Mihai Ghimpu attends the meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council and has a number of tough exchanges with judges. Judges complain that they have small salaries, a lot of cases to solve, that their offices are not repaired, and that they do not have free housing. Mr. Ghimpu replies that some judges complain of having small salaries while some of them have "three-story villas that not even businesspeople have." At the same time, Mr. Ghimpu promises that the judges' problems will be resolved, but stresses that "without the supremacy of the law, no reform will take place in the country, and, in that sense, the judicial system will play a very big role."
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Communists say they are ready to begin negotiations with the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) about changing Article 78 in the Constitution, which regulates the election of the head of state, but only on certain conditions. Communist head Vladimir Voronin said that one of the conditions would be for the AEI to accept the Communist project to revise Article 78, which asks for Parliament to continue the election of the President but lowers the ultimate minimum needed for that election to a simple majority.
The PC is willing to look for and find a consensus with the representatives of the Government, but that consensus will remain a utopia if the AEI does not dissolve the commission on changing and completing the Constitution, if it does not give up its idea to ban the PC, and does not give up on refusing to set a date for a legislative election, Mr. Voronin adds.
Interim head of state Mihai Ghimpu says that the PC „has no right to ask for Parliament to be dissolved as long as every necessary circumstance is not accumulated. There is a legislative commision to change Article 78. The Communists have appointed four M.P.s These now have to talk, make a proposal in the legislature, and Parliament will examine it and make a decision."
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In the first three months of this year, prices for agricultural products in Moldova went up 20.6 percent compared to the same period last year. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the price of vegetal goods went up 45.2 percent, and the price of animal products went up 3.5 percent. Prices for vegetables went up 2.3 times and at least doubled for soy beans. Corn became 61.7 percent more expensive, while wheat prices went up 59.9 percent. The price for cattle and live poultry went up 1.3 percent, while milk prices went down 4.8 percent.
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The Party of Communists (PC) accuses P.M. Vlad Filat of having launched „a real war" against the press that does not support him. A PC press release says that authorities are trying to take back former state-run Moldova Suverana and Nezavisimaia Moldova. Mr. Filat has not yet commented upon the accusations.
In February 2010, the Government decided to stop the procedure to liquidate the former two official newspapers. State Minister Victor Bodiu said that as a result of an analysis, authorities concluded that the two papers had not been privatized like former Communist authorities announced in 2005, but that a procedure for their liquidation had been initiated but has not yet been completed. Mr. Bodiu added that during this time, the papers were under the PC's control.
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Former President Vladimir Voronin says during a press conference that on the night of April 7-8, 2009, when police initiated a repression campaign that ended with at least one death of an anti-Communist protester, he was at home. „I went home at 10 p.m. The entire Government also went home. I was in the Government building all day, and then I went to the Presidency to see how things were. Mr. Voronin said he did not hear shots during the night despite of the fact that he lives on Serghei Lazo Street, in downtown Chisinau. „I normally sleep well. I don't hear shots during the night," Mr. Voronin added.
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Prime Minister Vlad Filat leaves for a two-day work visit to Germany. He is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Iurie Leanca, Justice Minister Alexandru Tanase, Agriculture Minister Valeriu Cosarciuc, deputy Economy Minister Octavian Calmic, as well as the heads of "Moldasig", "Moldtelecom", "Air Moldova", "Aeroportul Internaţional Chişinău", "Moldovagaz", "Banca de Economii", "Floare Carpet", and "Daac Hermes Group." Mr. Filat will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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The General Prosecutor's (GP) office initiates another criminal case in the name of former Interior Minister Gheorghe Papuc. Mr. Papuc is accused of having lost some secret documents. A press release from the GP says that between 2003 and 2009 Mr. Papuc never returned documents marked „personal secret" and „strictly personal secret"
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Businessman Adrian Nichifor, who is accused of murder, will stay in detention for another 30 days. The Buiucani Sector Court extends his arrest warrant at the request of prosecutors. Mr. Nichifor's lawyers say they will contest this decision at the Appeals Court. Mr. Nichifor is accused of killing a man in a bar in the raion of Nisporeni.
