PSRM councilors refused a moment of silence for Ilie Ilașcu: ‘Everyone has their own opinion’
During the November 21 meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC), the five municipal councillors from the Socialist Party (PSRM) chose not to stand for a minute of silence in honor of "the hero of the nation and martyr, Ilie Ilascu."
The proposal to honor Ilie Ilașcu was put forth by Corneliu Pântea, a municipal councillor from the National Alternative Movement (MAN).
While the attendees in the hall observed a moment of silence standing, the socialists chose to remain seated.
“In this context, the MAN faction proposes renaming a street or square, or constructing a monument in memory of our national hero and martyr, Ilie Ilașcu,” Pântea stated, receiving applause from the municipal councillors.
When asked to comment on the socialists’ behavior, Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban remarked, “Everyone has their own personal opinion on this matter.”
Recently, Ceban clarified that the authority to rename streets in Chisinau lies with the Municipal Council (CMC). “In the last five or six years, there have been no street renamings. It is the responsibility of the Municipal Council, which has a specialized commission for this purpose. It does not solely depend on the will or reluctance of the general mayor,” he commented.
However, former deputy mayor Victor Chironda asserted that any initiatives regarding street renaming are initially reviewed by the Commission on the Regulation of Urban Names in Chisinau, which is chaired by Ion Ceban himself. Additionally, such initiatives can originate from the local public authority, allowing the mayor to direct the Culture Directorate to prepare the necessary documentation and convene the respective commission.
It is noteworthy that the Moldovan National Party has submitted an official request to the Chisinau City Hall and the Chisinau Municipal Council to rename a segment of Toma Ciorba Street—specifically the section between Ştefan cel Mare and Sfant Boulevard and 31 August 1989 Street, where the Embassy of the Russian Federation is located—to Ilie Ilașcu Street.
Ilie Ilașcu, a former political prisoner of the separatist regime in Tiraspol, passed away on November 17 at the age of 73 and was laid to rest on November 20 at Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest. Thursday was declared a day of national mourning in the Republic of Moldova.
