30,000 Moldovans protest over separatist republic

Thirty thousand people gathered outside the government building on Sunday, calling for a separatist region to remain part of Moldova and urging the resignation of the Communist government.

The protesters, mostly youthful supporters of opposition parties, waved NATO, European Union and Moldovan flags. They chanted, "Down the with the Communists," and "Trans-Dniester is part of Moldova," referring to the separatist region in eastern Moldova.

The rally ended after four hours, with the organisers adopting a document calling on the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe not to "legitimize," Trans-Dniester. They say a proposed Russian peace plan would give too much legitimacy to the separatist region.

The OSCE is a mediator in the conflict, together with Moscow and Kiev – Russians and Ukrainians form a majority in the Trans-Dniester region.

The atmosphere was peaceful in contrast to earlier in the week, when scuffles broke out between protesters and police. Opposition lawmaker Vlad Cubreacov was hospitalized with head injuries, sustained, he said, from being beaten and dragged along the ground in the scuffles.

Authorities said Friday they were investigating Cubreacov on charges of burning a Russian flag during the protest. Flag burning is an offence that can be punishable by up to six years in prison.

The protests, which have lasted all week, were in response to a Russian plan for permanent peace for the Trans-Dniester region. Vladimir Voronin, president of Moldova, a former Soviet republic of 4.5 million people, rejected the proposition, saying it would have given Russia too much influence in the country.

According to the plan, Trans-Dniester would officially have been named the Moldovan Dniester Republic. Voronin suggested this could strengthen the hand of those wanting the region to become a separate state.

Russian defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said 2,000 Russian troops stationed in the disputed region should stay until 2020, while separatist leaders want the troops to remain until 2030.

Voronin has never specifically stated his preferences, but under an agreement with the OSCE, the troops were to stay until the end of the year.

Sunday's protest came on the eve of the start a conference organised by the OSCE in Maastricht, that will have the future of Moldova on its agenda.

Western diplomats have said that Voronin decided not to sign the plan after he received phone calls from several countries that belong to the OSCE – including the United States – expressing their reservations.

Tensions ran high in Moldova this week with Parliament summoning the police and other security forces and demanding they take "drastic measures," to stop the protests.