Remember Natalia Morari (Morar)? She was once one of Russia's most intrepid young investigative journalists, working for the news magazine the New Times. She uncovered a few blockbuster stories about connections between an Austrian bank, a money laundering scheme which may or may not have been related to the government, and the murder of central banker Anderi Kozlov (we posted translations of both pieces). Her reward for these journalistic achievements was not a Pulitzer-like prize, but rather expulsion from the country back to Moldova. In an interview with Grigory Pasko for this blog, Morari says that she believes she was exiled in relation with her investigative reporting on corruption, where she named names like Bortnikov, Sobyanin, and Surkov.Now Morari is back, right in the middle of all the Moldova protests, as the leader of the ThinkMoldova democratic action youth group. openDemocracy is carrying an interesting translation of one of her blog pieces which is well worth reading. I came across this article thanks to a comment posted by Sean Guillory over on Scraps of Moscow - Lyndon Allen's blog - which is currently offering some of the best coverage on these events in Moldova (Lyndon is apparantely in Chisinau right now). Thanks and keep up the good work!
4.26pm 7 April, 2009 Statement!
We, the youth initiative that organized a rally of 15,000 people in Chisinau yesterday are starting to worry that the political parties that got into parliament will use this youth protest for their political ends.
Three political parties - the AMN, PLDM and the Liberal Party - have already signed a statement demanding a review of the elections results. They've left the square, although the Liberal Democratic Party received permission for today's event. We call on them, along with the other political parties, to stop playing their political games, and not to forget that it was not the activists of their parties that took to the street, but us, young people who organised themselves through the internet.
This is why on behalf of our group we announced from the tribune that today at 7 pm we were calling on the political leaders of all the opposition parties to come to National Assembly Square for a dialogue with the young people who took to the streets yesterday and those who try to exploit this protest for their own benefit.
We repeat that we do not support any political party and reject any attempts by them or a group of them to take this process into their own hands. Those parties which do not come to the Square of National Assembly today at 7 pm will show that they don't care about us - about the people on whose behalf they spoke from the tribune today.
We demand the formation of a civil coalition made up not just of politicians, but members of civil society.
If the parties insist on playing their political games, we call on our young people not to let themselves be manipulated by them.
This appeal got enormous support from the young people on the Square. After 7pm we're going to come and tell them how the talks the political parties went. We'd like to note that no one was hurt as a result of the flash mob we organised yesterday.
All the roads to Chisinau are blocked now. People trying to get here from all over the country can't get into the capital. The internet is partly blocked, and mobile phone connections are almost completely down. Tear gas has already been used round the government building. Water cannons have also been used.
We've just been informed that a rally was held in support of us today in Paris at 7 pm opposite the Moldovan embassy and in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.
We repeat once again that our initiative group is not responsible for the looting today. The official organiser of today's rally is the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP).
The youth whom we called on are standing peacefully on the square. Today, during our press conference, disturbances began by the government building. We don't understand what the LDP, which were responsible for organising today's rally, were doing then.
This is why we call on everyone today, including the LDP, to come to the government building at the Square of National Assembly at 7pm. Our young people are expecting a constructive dialogue with them. We will ensure this.
