Open Letter to Moldova’s President, Igor Dodon.

As a guest in this country, I am taking the chance to remind you about the European Union (EU) – Moldova Association Agreement. And even if in the EU institutions might be corruption, in your country’s politics the depravity is observed in a particular way. 

I also remind you that the Association Agreement with the EU meant that Moldovan politics will guarantee respect for human rights, decency, and good faith. If we look at these simple laws, we conclude that namely, these are the values ​​you lack in fulfilling your duties as a president. At least till now. 

You sold together with Vladimir Plahotniuc the idea of human rights to your counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expelling Turkish citizens, who lived for a long time in Moldova and had families here. 

In a state with a strong rule of law, something like this would not have been possible without being confronted with protest of real courts (!), which would have thoroughly checked the allegations made to the Turkish teachers. Any president of a democratic state, in which the law institutions work would have been dismissed after this act of trafficking in human beings. 

When you launched your presidential campaign in 2016, you acted in a repulsive way, an unworthy behavior of a future president. I am talking about the TV shows where you behaved in every way possible, but not as a president. 

The unfortunate choice of part of this society, who decided to give you their votes, means this country is taken over by a terrible virus – that of corruption, depravity, stupidity, lack of decency and dignity.

A president who claims to have honor and dignity should behave as such. In the request to retract the alleged defamatory misstatements from January 27, 2020, addressed to ZdG you claimed you’re concerned about your professional reputation. 

However, a president who is concerned about his professional reputation as you mentioned does not resort to legal steps, suing a newspaper because the newspaper revealed to the public the luxurious vacations of the head of the state in exotic countries and expensive hotels when most citizens live in inhuman conditions. 

A worthy president does not insist that a newspaper should apologize because it asked him uncomfortable questions about his luxurious private holidays when he indicated in his declaration of assets that he lives only from his public servant salary.  

To justify your expensive holidays as invitations from relatives and close friends, […] saying that they too were the ones who endured the expenses for these vacations, when the simple Moldovan can only dream of such vacations, show that such politicians can be found only in corrupt structures and in the nepotistic economies. 

Taking a look at this state’s monopolization proves my point. As president of a state, you have to accept that you are carefully monitored. In fact, your declaration of assets wouldn’t be accepted in a country with truly democratic institutions and a credible Tax Service. And here I am thinking about the United Kingdom, where shortly an investigation of your assets would’ve been opened in your name. 

The same thing applies to several ministries, judges and public servants from your team. 

Mr. President Dodon!

I reserve the right to speak and I ask you to exercise your duties in a constitutional way. If you were ever oriented to such a governing way, now would be the appropriate time. Your authority (especially your constant need for glorification, which by definition is not appropriate) should not oppose the free press. 

A free and independent press is the fourth power in a democratic state, besides Legislative, Executive and Justice. Democracy guarantees the right to freedom of the press, but also the proper functioning of the above-mentioned powers, by making justice when simple citizens violated the law, and also when the public servants do it. 

The mission of these institutions consists of investigating various violations and their eradication. It appears that in this country the things mentioned above don’t work like this. 

As long as you can’t and you do not want to guarantee these things, you shouldn’t appear in the press with dull interpretations about honor and dignity. It would be better to withdraw from politics. That would be one strong decency signal! 

I have never addressed one open letter with more good intentions than this one. 

Sincerely, Stephen Tecumseh Harrison, writer.

 Translated into Romanian by Margret Miller.

Editor’s Note: This article is an open letter written by Stephen Tecumseh Harrison, writer. The views and opinions expressed in it are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ziarul de Gardă.