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Ex-Moldovan President Dodon Says He Could Establish New Political Party

CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Igor Dodon, a former president of Moldova and the honorary president of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM), said on Thursday that he may establish a new political party in the republic.
Sputnik
"There is an option that I will create my own party, a movement that will not be tied to a geopolitical vector," Dodon said in an interview with Moldovan broadcaster N4.
"The party would be pro-Moldovan and may even be stronger in this respect than the PSRM. I do not rule out such a development."
At the same time, the ex-president noted the PSRM team is a "dear family" to him, and he will not sever relations with it.
"They [party members] are like a family to me. I prefer to remain part of this family, to stay close to the team. If the need arises and there is some other formula, the project, I think many socialists, the vast majority, will join it," Dodov said.
In Spring, the opposition protests against rising prices and the economic crisis broke out in Moldova. Separate protests were held by the PSRM and the Sor Party, followed by a series of arrests of opposition representatives in Chisinau.
On May 24, the anti-corruption prosecutors detained Dodon on suspicion of passive corruption, illegal enrichment, and treason. The former president's house was searched and investigated. He was formally charged the next day and placed under house arrest with several extensions on his sentence.
In October, the hearing of the criminal case against Dodon began. The meeting takes place at the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ). According to the charges brought against the ex-president, he was accused of taking a bribe of up to $1 million from the former leader of the Democratic Party, oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc. Allegedly, this money was requested by the ex-president to pay the current expenses of the PSRM, including the payment of wages to employees of the same political force. In November, the SCJ released Dodon from house arrest.
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