Tatiana Cociu resigns as Orhei mayor after Ilan Șor’s withdrawal
The Orhei Mayor, Tatiana Cociu, who has been absent from the city since late September, submitted her resignation one day after the convicted fugitive Ilan Șor announced he was suspending his "social projects" in the Republic of Moldova and withdrawing his political support for his associates.
"The first soldier has left the regiment," commented WatchDog expert, Ștefan Bejan, on the news.
Cociu, echoing Ilan Șor's claims, accused the current government of "persecuting" her team and "stealing the funds" designated for the municipality's "development." Consequently, she stated that "remaining in the mayor's office has become impossible for me."
Listing projects carried out by the fugitive Ilan Șor’s team in Orhei—including the construction of the OrheiLand park and street repairs—Cociu claimed that "the central authorities systematically hindered every project" and "persecuted the team and the city's residents."
"The country's presidential and parliamentary elections were stolen. This power, which came to power through deception, has not allowed us and will not allow us to develop the city," Cociu wrote on Telegram. "They stole the funds we planned to direct towards supporting pensioners and public employees, for the construction of infrastructure. With great regret, I announce: I resign."
She further claimed that "My colleagues and I are threatened with arrests just because we work for the people, and the residents of the city and the country are subjected to pressure and fines. We can no longer guarantee results and are forced to close all our projects."
In her message, Tatiana Cociu "sincerely" thanked Ilan Șor, who was definitively sentenced to 15 years in prison in the major bank fraud case, for his "support and trust."
Mayor Absent for Two Months
Tatiana Cociu, who won the 2023 local elections on the list of the "Force for Alternative and Salvation of Moldova" Party, has been out of sight in Orhei for over two months. Since September 23, she has not signed any City Hall documents; her deputy, Anastasia Țurcan, has taken over these duties.
City Hall employees suggested contacting Natalia Negru in the Mayor's Office reception for details on the mayor's absence, but she did not respond to calls.
Tatiana Cociu's previously known phone number is also no longer reachable.
"Moscow’s Maneuver": Șor’s Political Support Withdrawal
The fugitive Ilan Șor announced on December 1 that he was suspending his "social projects" in the Republic of Moldova, accusing the government of "blocking" all avenues for him to "help citizens."
Șor claimed that roughly $50 million was blocked in the last six months. He also announced the withdrawal of his political support, stating that representatives of associated political formations would resign their mandates due to risks to their "life and freedom."
Experts, however, interpret this move as a strategic shift by Moscow, attempting to reconfigure its political instruments following the failures of pro-Russian networks in the recent Moldovan elections.
"It is possible that this is a maneuver by Moscow, through which they are trying to get rid of Ilan Șor and change their tactics in the Republic of Moldova. We have observed that, recently, new political leaders have appeared who are intensively promoted," commented Ștefan Bejan for Teleradio-Moldova.
Law enforcement officials specify that tens of thousands of citizens have been fined in the last year for electoral corruption. They claim that individuals affiliated with the Șor group allegedly corrupted voters to vote in Moscow's interest during the last elections in the Republic of Moldova. Furthermore, several leaders of the territorial organizations of the former Șor Party, declared unconstitutional in 2023, have been convicted for illegal financing of political parties and ordered to pay tens of millions of lei to the state.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
