Electoral contestants

Electoral Bloc "Social Democratic Party - Social Liberal Party"

Composition: Social Democratic Party of Moldova, Leader: Oazu Nantoi Social Liberal Party, Leader: Oleg Serebrian

Candidate for the position of General Mayor of Chisinau Municipality:
Viorel Topa

Electoral slogans:
…For a better life - in a Common Europe…
Let's build together a European future!
Vote our candidates!
Vote the Star of Bethlehem!
…Let us bring Moldova to Europe…

Electoral platform (abridged)

This platform builds on the founding principles of the political manifestos of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Social Liberal Party (SLP).

The SDP and SLP have set up the Electoral Bloc "SDP-SLP" out of their shared choice for consequent and well-thought measures aimed at the assertion of the Republic of Moldova as a democratic state with a socially oriented, efficient and competitive market economy. It is an obvious fact that the current government has proved incompetent and impotent to cope with the following major issues the Moldovan society is facing at present:

• Transforming the economy from an appendix to the economic complex of the ex-USSR into a real national economy, connected to the European economic system;
• Reducing the social cost of economic reforms;
• Putting an end to the degradation of the intellectual and cultural potential of the people, the only difference that still makes Moldova distinct from other developing countries;
• Ensuring the territorial integrity of Moldova and its joining of the European Union (EU).

We have to admit with pain in our hearts that Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

No one will succeed in restructuring the economy and halting the economic crisis without involving the entire population of the country in this process.

Our bloc's main task is to firmly fight poverty.

Our representatives in the local power bodies of all levels will strive to achieve the following:

• Equal and stable conditions of activity for all economic agents;
• Clear, optimal and stimulating taxes;
• Protection of local producers;
• Encouraging exports, and discouraging imports of goods that are being produced or may be produced in Moldova;
• Support by the local power bodies of all levels of small and medium size producers;
• Putting into practice the national programme "Moldovan Village", intended to ensure the development of villages and agricultural producers;
• Putting into practice the programme "House", intended to provide housing to all those enlisted and to the members of constructions co-operatives who lost their shelters because of the state;
• Stopping the criminal practice delaying the payment of wages to workers;
• Making order in the system of public finance circulation;
• Decreasing prices on food stuffs, first need goods and communal services;
• Reaching a fair balance between the minimum salary and the minimum survival budget, pursuant to current laws. The pensioners, invalids, orphans, mothers with many children, who are now on the verge of poverty, must be paid minimum pensions worth at least 70 percent of the minimum living standard. The unemployment allowance should not be less than the minimum pension and the payments for re-training should be at least 80 percent of the minimum living standard;
• Protecting the rights of citizens who hold bonds and of those who made bank deposits, including those who suffered in the result of the bankruptcy of land companies and funds, as well as because of the inflation and the devaluation of the Moldovan currency;
• Preserving the free medical assistance for rural workers and free education for their children;
• Recovering the normal functioning of public transport;
• Providing social and communal services at a decent level and at accessible prices;
• Supplying electricity and natural gas at normal prices.

For the SDP and SLP there is no more ardent task than the one of fighting unemployment.

The SDP and SLP believe that the preservation and creation of new jobs is impossible without an immediate stop to the policy of destruction of the industrial potential of Moldova.

In this sense, it is necessary to do the following:

• Contribute towards the creation, through legislative and financial ways, and with the participation of local authorities, of financial-industrial groups aiming to develop the branches of local industry on the basis of international investments;
• Restructure effectively the Moldovan industrial enterprises based on concrete programmes of technical and financial assistance, and with the direct involvement of local economy specialists;
• Promote such tax and credit and investment policies of the local governments as to preserve the highly qualified production and scientific research personnel;
• Encourage inter-republican and international production co-operation.

Our main task is to stop the ruining of our agriculture, which is the nucleus of our national economy, keep up and upgrade the existent technological level of the agricultural production, preserve soil fertility as a major national asset.

Our parties deplore the fact that farmers are the poorest category of workers in Moldova, despite the fact that they are the sole owners of land, the only natural resource of our country.

Local governments should become a mechanism of involving the population of the country in government.

The fate of culture, science and education should not depend on the ups and turns of the political struggle and the economic hardship.

The SDP and SLP stand firmly for free and quality medical assistance for everyone.

For the SDP-SLP Bloc, the people and the land are the most precious treasure of Moldova.

The SDP and SLP believe that special attention is to be devoted to the issues faced by our youth, which is also our future.

Any change for better is possible only when order is made, legality is enhanced and delinquency is seriously fought.

The experience of all developed countries has shown that the fight against delinquency can work only when all the active forces of the society are involved in it.

We want to build and turn Moldova into an actual European state.

The SDP and SLP believe that the local public administration bodies may not be left out of the process of territorial reintegration of Moldova.

Bringing the Moldovan local governments in line with international standards is not possible without international co-operation in this sense.

The social democrats and the social liberals have joined efforts to build a lasting partnership, a PARTNERSHIP FOR EUROPE, for the prosperity and unity of our nation. For us, the supreme value is the individual: every citizen's wealth, health, present and future, as well of the society on the whole. We dare to believe that the local elections of 25 May 2003 will be a stepping stone towards the revitalisation of democracy in the Republic of Moldova and towards the European future of our country!