Chisinau's budget crisis: PAS blames Mayor Ceban
It's been six months since Chisinau Municipality hasn't had an approved budget. In this context, the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) faction within the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) is accusing General Mayor Ion Ceban of intentionally delaying the adoption of the municipal budget.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, July 15, councillors stated that instead of responsibility and transparency, citizens are facing a "mockery of governance," and the mayor seems more preoccupied with his image and political meetings than with solving the city's problems.
"We have a mayor who seems to believe the municipality is his personal estate. Mr. Ceban, it appears you're living in a movie where you're told what to do directly from the Kremlin. But we are not in Moscow; we are in Chisinau, in a European state, where the law is above all else," said Zinaida Popa, President of the PAS faction in the CMC.
PAS is demanding an urgent convocation of a CMC meeting to continue debating the municipal budget. The faction wants to know how public funds were spent in 2024, to discuss the 2025 budget draft, and to address the city's pressing issues – from dilapidated infrastructure and abandoned apartment block courtyards to the lack of transparency within the Mayor's Office and municipal enterprises.
During the same press conference, councillors also criticized the local authorities' lack of reaction regarding the apartment building affected by fire in Durlești, where 3 million lei were promised, but it's unclear if concrete steps have been taken to support the affected families.
Furthermore, they also accuse that councillors are being kept away from essential data concerning municipal enterprises.
"We are blocked from accessing information from municipal enterprises, such as 'Spații Verzi' [Green Spaces]. We face a total lack of transparency, which leads us to suspect that illegalities are being committed, causing prejudice to the local budget," PAS councillors added.
When contacted by Teleradio-Moldova for comment on the accusations, Natalia Ixari, spokesperson for the General Mayor of Chisinau Municipality, has not yet responded to calls.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
