Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHISINAU5
2009-01-06 13:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Chisinau
Cable title:
GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS AGAIN IN MOLDOVA
how-toVZCZCXRO0516 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHCH #0005 0061306 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 061306Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7494 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS CHISINAU 000005
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/AE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM MD
SUBJECT: GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS AGAIN IN MOLDOVA
Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly.
REF: 07 Chisinau 1490
UNCLAS CHISINAU 000005
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/AE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM MD
SUBJECT: GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS AGAIN IN MOLDOVA
Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly.
REF: 07 Chisinau 1490
1. (SBU) Summary: Once again, the central government has interfered
with Chisinau Christmas celebrations in an attempt to thwart
Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca and assert its control over public
space in the capital. Like last year, the confrontation began with
a wandering Christmas tree; this year, it escalated to taking away
gifts from orphans. End summary.
2. (SBU) The 2007 confrontation began on December 9, when the Mayor
put up a large Christmas tree on Chisinau's central square, only to
see it removed on December 10 to a remote location behind the next
square. In 2008, events began on December 15, when central
government authorities "arrested" the 35-foot Chisinau mayoral tree
at its point of origin, the village of Cojusna, about 12 miles
northwest of Chisinau. According to a press release from
Chirtoaca's office, traffic police requested a copy of the purchase
contract for the tree (not applicable because the tree was purchased
from a private household),the driver's identification documents and
driving permit, and a permit from the State Ecological Inspectorate.
Finding some of the documents "not in order," the police seized the
tree.
3. (SBU) In contrast to 2007, when the City Hall tree was allowed to
stand in front of City Hall, the 2008 tree remained under arrest at
the Straseni Forest Center (about 15 miles northwest of Chisinau),
and was stolen on December 20 by unknown persons, according to press
reports. Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chrirtoaca's December 20 attempts to
put up smaller trees at five locations in the city (including a
space in front of City Hall) were stopped by police. Chirtoaca was
able, however, to put up holiday lights over Chisinau's main
boulevard on December 18. Chirtoaca had to settle for getting a
tree set up in front of a boarding school for orphans 15 miles away
in Straseni.
4. (SBU) On December 23, a City Hall car carrying gifts for the
orphans was stopped by police, who directed the driver to report to
a police station in a Chisinau suburb. According to the Mayor's
office, Chirtoaca had planned to distribute the gifts later in the
day, but the gifts were confiscated and the driver fined on the
grounds that he had no license to transport goods. Even after City
Hall presented documents giving such permission, the police retained
the gifts. PRO TV broadcasts showed that when Mayor Chirtoaca
attempted to visit the school to offer holiday greetings on the same
day, he was turned back at the entrance of the school by a Ministry
of Interior (MOI) official. The official told Chirtoaca that an MOI
delegation was visiting the school. Later, Chirtoaca was allowed in
to talk with the children, though without presents.
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) What appears to have become an annual holiday-season event
in Chisinau featured farce, advance warning (Chirtoaca publicly
announced all his plans beforehand),specious and prejudicial
legalisms, an implacable ruling-party hostility against the Liberal
Party mayor, and a willingness to act ugly for political advantage.
Countering the 2007 impression that the central government was
merely favoring the later (January 7) date of Orthodox Christmas, in
2008 the GOM's Christmas tree was up, in the central square, by
December 18. Thus it was on display in time for the December 25
date celebrated by the small minority of Orthodox Christians in
Moldova who are subordinate to the Romanian Orthodox Church. When
church dating and political opportunism were in conflict, the latter
won. The willingness of the central government to confiscate gifts
for orphans also demonstrates shamelessness and a lack of religious
sensitivity. The well-publicized fact that Chirtoaca had to travel
15 miles to a neighboring town to install a Christmas tree
epitomizes the limitations he faces in his own bailiwick.
KEIDERLING
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, DRL/AE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM MD
SUBJECT: GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS AGAIN IN MOLDOVA
Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly.
REF: 07 Chisinau 1490
1. (SBU) Summary: Once again, the central government has interfered
with Chisinau Christmas celebrations in an attempt to thwart
Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca and assert its control over public
space in the capital. Like last year, the confrontation began with
a wandering Christmas tree; this year, it escalated to taking away
gifts from orphans. End summary.
2. (SBU) The 2007 confrontation began on December 9, when the Mayor
put up a large Christmas tree on Chisinau's central square, only to
see it removed on December 10 to a remote location behind the next
square. In 2008, events began on December 15, when central
government authorities "arrested" the 35-foot Chisinau mayoral tree
at its point of origin, the village of Cojusna, about 12 miles
northwest of Chisinau. According to a press release from
Chirtoaca's office, traffic police requested a copy of the purchase
contract for the tree (not applicable because the tree was purchased
from a private household),the driver's identification documents and
driving permit, and a permit from the State Ecological Inspectorate.
Finding some of the documents "not in order," the police seized the
tree.
3. (SBU) In contrast to 2007, when the City Hall tree was allowed to
stand in front of City Hall, the 2008 tree remained under arrest at
the Straseni Forest Center (about 15 miles northwest of Chisinau),
and was stolen on December 20 by unknown persons, according to press
reports. Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chrirtoaca's December 20 attempts to
put up smaller trees at five locations in the city (including a
space in front of City Hall) were stopped by police. Chirtoaca was
able, however, to put up holiday lights over Chisinau's main
boulevard on December 18. Chirtoaca had to settle for getting a
tree set up in front of a boarding school for orphans 15 miles away
in Straseni.
4. (SBU) On December 23, a City Hall car carrying gifts for the
orphans was stopped by police, who directed the driver to report to
a police station in a Chisinau suburb. According to the Mayor's
office, Chirtoaca had planned to distribute the gifts later in the
day, but the gifts were confiscated and the driver fined on the
grounds that he had no license to transport goods. Even after City
Hall presented documents giving such permission, the police retained
the gifts. PRO TV broadcasts showed that when Mayor Chirtoaca
attempted to visit the school to offer holiday greetings on the same
day, he was turned back at the entrance of the school by a Ministry
of Interior (MOI) official. The official told Chirtoaca that an MOI
delegation was visiting the school. Later, Chirtoaca was allowed in
to talk with the children, though without presents.
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) What appears to have become an annual holiday-season event
in Chisinau featured farce, advance warning (Chirtoaca publicly
announced all his plans beforehand),specious and prejudicial
legalisms, an implacable ruling-party hostility against the Liberal
Party mayor, and a willingness to act ugly for political advantage.
Countering the 2007 impression that the central government was
merely favoring the later (January 7) date of Orthodox Christmas, in
2008 the GOM's Christmas tree was up, in the central square, by
December 18. Thus it was on display in time for the December 25
date celebrated by the small minority of Orthodox Christians in
Moldova who are subordinate to the Romanian Orthodox Church. When
church dating and political opportunism were in conflict, the latter
won. The willingness of the central government to confiscate gifts
for orphans also demonstrates shamelessness and a lack of religious
sensitivity. The well-publicized fact that Chirtoaca had to travel
15 miles to a neighboring town to install a Christmas tree
epitomizes the limitations he faces in his own bailiwick.
KEIDERLING