MINELRES: Moldova: National Roma Centre demands public apologies from Democratic Party leader

[minelres@lists.microlink.lv]

Original sender: Ionas Rus <rus@fas.rutgers.edu>


http://www.info-prim.md/?x=&y=10508

National Roma Centre demands public apologies from Democratic Party
leader

2007-09-22/08:36 The National Roma Centre demands that the leader of  
the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) Dumitru Diacov should apologize  
publicly for his statements regarding the Roma population, which the  
Centre describes as 'racist and discriminatory'. Otherwise, they will  
notify the Centre for Human Rights of Moldova of the given fact.

Ana Lepadatu, the Centre's president, issued a public protest letter  
criticizing the use by Dumitru Diacov of a proverb considered by the  
signatory as offensive to the Roma ethnic community. She says that by  
using the proverb intentionally, the PDM leader and the MP Dumitru  
Diacov showed his prejudices against a national minority and violated  
the Constitution of the country and such international documents as  
the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of  
the Council of Europe, the Recommendations of the European Commission  
against Racism and Intolerance, the United Nations Universal  
Declaration of Human Rights etc.

According to the letter, at a news conference Diacov used the proverb  
'the gypsy also has money, but there is no use of it' to express his  
scepticism towards the leadership skills of Vladimir Filat in  
connection with his leaving of the PDM.

The National Roma Centre describes itself as an unpartisan  
nongovernmental organization that promotes the rights and interests of  
the Roma by monitoring and advocacy activities with the aim of  
combating the prejudices and discrimination against Roma and by  
creating equal opportunities as regards the access to work, healthcare  
services, education and other public
services.

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