CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2020) Moldovan farmers have demanded that the country's government resign since it did not support the agriculture sector after it suffered from crop loss caused by drought, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday.
On December 9, the farmers parked roughly 200 tractors outside the government building in the capital of Chisinau to press their demand for state aid after rural households suffered the harvest loss due to harsh weather this year. The demonstrators said that they would stay in the city's center until the government fulfills their requirements.
"We want to meet with the prime minister, let him come out to us. We have filed petitions, set out all demands, but nobody has met with us. We hoped that the government would hear us and lend a helping hand. If our rights are not observed, then we demand the resignation of the government, the resignation of Agricultural Minister Ion Perju," the leaders of the farmer's demonstration said.
The demonstrators added that they had demanded the government not to increase agricultural VAT from eight to 12 per cent, and also allocate 3,000 lei ($174) for each 10,000 square meters of agricultural land that had suffered from the drought.
The leaders of the demonstration said that the farmers would hold a protest rally near the Moldovan parliament on December 17, the day when the lawmakers were scheduled to consider a project on fiscal policy.
"On Thursday, we will come to the parliament to appeal to all responsible legislators, we welcome everyone interested to join our initiative ... If the government does not hear us, then maybe the parliament will hear," the demonstrators said.
Moldovan President Igor Dodon said that the farmer's protest was supported by the right-wing opposition parties to achieve political aims.
"I believe that the farmer's protest is exploited to political ends, we see that it is organized by the lawmakers from Action and Solidarity Party and Dignity and Truth Platform. I believe that it is necessary to support farmers, and we are ready to continue doing this, but nothing can be achieved by protests, blocking streets and political statements," Dodon said.
Up to 80 per cent of Moldova's territory was affected by drought this year. In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia transferred an equivalent of $3.6 million to Moldova's Finance Ministry to support the farmers whose crops were destroyed by dry season.
