CHISINAU, (Reuters) – Moldova’s prime minister resigned yesterday after state prosecutors, whom he has accused of moving slowly over the disappearance of $1 billion from the country’s banks, questioned him over his school certificates.
“I am tendering my resignation because I don’t want to take part in political games … I am a manager and not a politician and I thought very carefully about my decision,” Chiril Gaburici told journalists.
The departure of the 38-year-old pro-Europe businessman Gaburici after just over 100 days in office comes as the tiny ex-Soviet country, one of Europe’s poorest, seethes with resentment over the missing cash, equivalent to around one-eighth of annual GDP.
The country of 3.5 million lying between Ukraine and Romania has been ruled since 2009 by pro-Western parties which have negotiated a political and free trade deal with the European Union and are dedicated to taking it into mainstream Europe.
But economic mismanagement, trade pressure from Russia and the failure of successive governments to tackle corruption mean nostalgia for Soviet times and traditional links with Moscow remains high among large sections of the population.
The European Commission said Gaburici’s resignation had come at a critical time, when political action was still needed to push through reforms and “redress the dire economic situation of the country”.
“It is crucial that a new stable government is swiftly formed which is empowered to take bold steps … the massive lost funds need to be recovered and those responsible held accountable,” Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic added.
