"There's no excuse for people being hostile"- says Serafim Urecean, the general Mayor of Chisinau.

Serafim Urechean likes to point out that he is just an economic executive. Yet it is well known that our municipal head is at the same time a political leader. And who knows what he is really like. Actually it is not often that he makes political speeches, but when he takes the floor he raises quite important and unordinary questions. You'll make sure in it after having read his interview given to the editor-in-chief of the "Nezavisimaia Moldova", Boris Marian.

- Serafim Alexandrovich! It seems that people don't feel the moment of grandeur they've recently experienced, generally speaking, we celebrated not just another New Year. The world entered the new century, the new millennium. The Aquarius era is coming. You are known to have been born under the same sign of the Zodiac, which is considered to be fruitful and favorable. What kind of ideas does the epochal transition bring to your mind, what do you think it can bring to all the nations of the Earth?

- One thousand years is rather a long period. Ten years forecast is either something fantastic or is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I would presume that predictions made by many outstanding futurologists will start coming true in the XXI century. That implies power-engineering advances, based on low-temperature nuclear reactions, the appearance of quantum generators drawing energy out of 'empty space' and other technological advances. Even the dream of medieval alchemists to create everything out of anything may come true. Still there will be a lot of recent problems and threats concerning the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, tree felling, extinction of marine flora and fauna and environmental pollution. Unexpected pandemics, degradation of Homo sapiens as the biological species caused by excessive comfort - I would call that "welfare overdose", typical for the most well-to-do and successful countries of the planet. And finally the non-stop development of weapon that is often misused by plotters.

- These large-scale threats prove that only united mankind can make use of the fantastic opportunities appearing on the verge of the Millennium and fight all possible disasters. Here in Moldova we can do a lot - we can join the European Community and move towards consolidation. But first we have to turn into real Europeans, which is only a dream at the moment.

- Just before the final president election round you were considered to be one of the potential candidates. However, you refused to take our "Kushma Monomaha". Could you explain why?

- It's impossible to be a president and to do the job in the working environment created by the Moldovan parliament. I wouldn't like dancing to the tune of the multiheaded parliamentary army, which the newspapers call a Circus.

- Sooner or later the president will be elected. What do you think is the key to his success?

- The main thing is his team, its solidarity and loyalty to leader. At the same time the leader has to be faithful to those he brings together. It must be an efficient and competent team, proving itself "both in trouble and struggle."

The primary purpose of the head of the state and his team is to unite people around

one issue, or a national idea of new European kind. It seems to me that a multinational society following the traditions like we do is prone to bring a triumph of the multiethnical constructive national idea. I'm sure, the Moldovan society, traditionally free from ethnical differentiation, is ready for changes. Whereas the Intellectual Elite has to provide this national idea with the final look and offer it to the society.

- Don't you think it could bring more problems to our already hard life?

- We are constantly absorbed by the present economic crisis. This is what distracts us from its original reason - the chronic crisis of power in the Republic. After all, there's no point in making plans for the future unless the anarchy, the illegality and elementary disorder is fought. While we linger, power structures continuously degrade influencing the economy in the same way. And there's no end to it.

The objective of the new president will be to destroy the wall between the state and the people, built by the present self-declared "elite". Being sure in the determination and the new state head goodwill would make the society truly supportive.

- The society we live in is almost weekly shaken by the brawls on the very top of the "pyramid". Do you know some sound parties and people who could take up control in the country?

- Yes, I do. I know a lot of them personally. The problem is that in our uncertain conditions a worthy man prefers to remain in the shadow. This is a real tragedy for the society - decent and talented people prefer to do their own business, they don't "get into politics". The art of leadership consists of finding such people, making them aware of their mission and give them the sense of social responsibility, filling them with courage and confidence. Working in the team of such exceptional people helps to reach the objective, no matter how small the team is.

- The country is pressed for time. Not everyone realizes what happened on the 5 July 2000 when people were deprived of the sovereign power to elect the head of the state. A small group of parliamentary jugglers noticed a gap in the Basic Law and usurped the prerogative of the society to elect the head of the state. Treating people as a flock of sheep let our hollow lawmakers engineer a Coup d'Etat allowing any possible tyrant to come to power. What is the way to bring this right back to people and to restore the self-respect they lost after not being able to master their own Fate?

- The people were really made silent, and I'm sure that was the very day the parliament of the last convocation brought in a verdict to itself. But the point is not "the historic act" dating from the 5 July, the system of forcing the sovereign elector out of the social road has been in use for many years. This implies party list voting, high "quantity thresholds" for the new registering funds and electorate brainwashing continuously performed by the party press, etc. The electors are feared that's why they are compelled to keep silent. What would break this vicious circle? In my opinion, it is mass awakening. Of course, the action should be taken within the limits of the Law and the best way to do it is to organize a total referendum, already demanded by the majority of population. Today the Legislative Assembly coming to power plays a key role and I hope it won't be a duplicate of its muddle-headed predecessor.

- What about the future president? What role does he play here?

- The duty of the future head of the state is to obtain the renewal, liberalization and resolute democratization of the electoral system. It is to make people realize their rights and know how to stand up for it. It follows that a problem of a key significance arises - the confirmation of the referendum's validity in the political life of society. With no concern to worldwide experience, this kind of nation-wide will is reduced to mere formality - the people demand while the authorities pretend not to hear it. The electors' will is executed neither by the Parliament nor by the government or the President. And once again, nobody notices that this is unnatural and offensive for the people.
This nonsense should be left out of the country's life. The Constitution of the Republic should stipulate the obligatory execution of the people's will.

- In our country they use to say: "Mamaliga doesn't blow up", hinting at immemorial complaisance of our people. But what if the pressure goes beyond all possible limits?

- All the social processes as well as nuclear ones must have its critical mass. It is the compression limit followed by an uncontrolled outburst. Here are the examples. The bloody country revolt in Romania in 1907; the revolt in Tatarbunari, Hotin and Tigina. The overthrow of Ceausescu, resulting in many excesses, the campaign of miners from the river Jiu valley on Bucharest. As you can see the amount of critical mass may be accumulated even in our silent region, in Mioritsa's motherland.

- The right-wing orientation politicians like to complain about living in "a small country". They say this is where all the misfortunes and the inability to survive come from.

- At this point "the size" and "the grandeur" are different concepts. The significance of the state doesn't always depend on its area and population. Creation of one of the most outstanding cultures on the planet is the symbol of grandeur; standing up to the fire of ten wars with the numerically superior enemy from Hungary, Poland and the Crimean khanate - are the certificates of the same kind. Moldova can also be proud of such historic achievements. After all, the country inhabited by 4-5 million people is not a small country indeed. There's plenty of countries in the world with a territory considerably smaller than we have. So we'd better not think of our country as of one of the "small countries" or as of the country of little significance. The main thing is what the country can do.

- However it's not just an idle question. If the country is "small" and has little experience of sovereign existence, there always appears a state considering itself to be great and intending to swallow it completely. This is the root of the argument between Moldovan patriots and unionists. Of course, the Romanians are brothers to the Moldovans. You could even call them the twins. Are you sure they are not Siamese?

- Of course, not. The Moldovans think of their western neighbors with the brotherly feelings, love and respect. And not only once you could make sure in the respect both the Romanian Elite and simple workers feel towards the desire of the Moldovans to live in their own country, in the independent republic. The international community has acknowledged our state. We've already been "structurized" in the UNO, the Council of Europe, we can always feel the constant support of the CIS and a friendly hand of the North Atlantic community. These are reliable warranties of our freedom.

- It seems to me that it is also the moral health of the population that saves Moldova…

- This is the great blessing for the country. The Providence itself endowed the Moldovan people with the immunity against chauvinism and national intolerance. If the militant racism of Hitler didn't take roots in the 30ies- 40ies, when it was continuously planted from without - then there's no ground for the nationalist extremism in our country and all the attempts of few local newspapers to revive it are sure to fail.

- What really worries is the aggressive separatism - one more dangerous phenomenon.

- It is created artificially by short-sighted politicians. The best antidote to any extremism in Moldova will always be the patriotism of the Moldovans, the national idea of European level. This kind of patriotism unites people of different ethnic groups instead of setting them against each other. No separatism can be born in such moral atmosphere.

- At this very moment the planet's interest is chained to Russia, its new President. Vladimir Putin seems to be an intelligent and highly erudite person, desiring to act "in the best way". Don't you think he will end up as usual?

- There are political circles laying special stress on the mistakes made by the young Russian president, on his strict policy of strengthening the State system. However no one can be insured against the mistakes. The order in Russia is the sharpest necessity, which actually concerns Moldova too. It happens more often that I see true steps and encouraging declarations in Putin's policy rather than mistakes. What he has recently said about Russia pertains to the mentioned above - that is that Russia ought to give up its imperial ambitions. Vladimir Vladimirovich is right, his country is a great power with a great future, one of the main poles of the global attraction. The country is recovering after the crisis and is restoring its economy. Its rise is a very important factor of stability for the whole of our part of the world. Especially since our country is closely connected with Russia at the economic and ethnical points.


- In my opinion we should hope for the best. If only the new confrontation period between Russia and the West doesn't start.

- Probably, there is no region on the Earth completely insured against this danger. Moldova has become a lively crossroads for the illegal migration flows, leaking onto the promised lands of Western Europe. A great number of "fortune seekers" settles down in our country, starts up a business which is not often legal and traffics drugs. They settle scores among themselves and drag into their brawls autochthonous criminal elements. This sounds rather a problem - our homebred criminal structures are updated by the skilled professionals from the "hot spots" with their special customs, cruelty and contempt for human life. We should be ready to face this problem. And the best way to do it is to support our law enforcement bodies in their activity, promote respect for the law and strengthen the unity of society.

- What does the sign of the times at the dawn of the new century and new Millennium mean? What's the point in it both for the present moment and for the foreseeable future?

- The fact is that the infancy of Homo Sapiens is almost over. Up till now the humankind has been busy with spoiling its toys, getting the fingers grazed by the widgets completely unsuitable to entertain oneself, and has been severely burnt playing with matches. We should put an end to these lovely entertainments until the "Big Common House" is burnt down. The lessons the century taught us were not very difficult, and the main lesson was that there's no excuse for people being hostile and there's no price you can give for the human blood. Either survive together or die.

- What would you like to wish to the City and the World, as the ancient used to say Urbi et Orbi these field days?

- Prudence and abstinent self-esteem. Learning the vitally important art of self-restraint in satisfying the material needs, living in peace with the Nature and the neighbors. Reviving the importance of honor and belief. The rest will come naturally.