Chișinău Mayor Ceban eyes parliament for capital’s solutions
Chișinău mayor Ion Ceban says he hopes to secure parliamentary solutions for some of the capital's issues.
The Alternativa Bloc, on whose lists he ran, is sending eight lawmakers to the new parliament.
Ceban also sees Deputy Mayors Olga Ursu and Angela Cutasevici as potential members of the future national Government. He made the statements during the show PE FAȚĂ on Moldova 1 television on October 13.
"I hope we can find common ground, as is the case with the parking problem, because today there is no regulatory framework, law, or amendments to existing legislation for setting up and organising the parking system. This is not just a problem for Chișinău; it affects the Republic of Moldova nationally and other cities. Therefore, we must make a common effort in this regard," the mayor stated.
He added that key projects—such as the bypass road, parking, and traffic management—must be resolved jointly. "When I go to Parliament, and I will go to Parliament to speak about these things, I want these laws to be adopted... to solve the problem not only for Chișinău residents but also for those living in Bălți, Comrat, and so on."
Ceban suggested he would like to see his colleagues from the City Hall leadership in the future government.
"We will be an opposition force under these circumstances, because the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova needs a strong, professional opposition force. Two deputies have left, very good, well-prepared people, much better than those I know who might crave or could occupy a ministerial position. For example, Ms. Cutasevici at the Ministry of Education or Ms. Olga Ursu at the Ministry of Economy or the Ministry of Finance. And I would like these people or the quality of these people to be present in the new lineup of ministers," Ceban mentioned.
Regarding the future Cabinet, Ceban believes there are at least two scenarios. The first, he claimed, is a "sacrifice government."
He suggested the latter would have to continue everything that has happened until now, and then by March or April, 'they would be axed,' either because someone wants to get rid of a rival or because they will simply have to be sacrificed to look good publicly. The second scenario, he pointed out, would be a person coming from the technocratic sphere.
In this context, the MAN leader reiterated he has no intention of giving up his position as mayor.
"I will remain mayor, because, together with the team I am very proud of, I have to carry things through, big and small. Thousands of projects that are currently being implemented or have already been implemented. Soon, we will also present the report for two years of activity," he concluded.
The Alternativa Bloc secured eight parliamentary seats in the September 28 elections. Following Ceban's announcement on October 9 that he is remaining in office as mayor, the parliamentary seat will be taken by Deputy Mayor of Chișinău municipality, Angela Cutasevici, who was ninth on the list of candidates.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
