PMP leader, Traian Basescu said on Sunday evening that it is possible that President-elect of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon to withdraw his Moldovan citizenship, noting that if he had the power he increased the number of scholarships for young Moldovans studying in Romania and eliminate the fee for recovery of citizenship.

"What can I do to him if that's all he has in mind? I do not know very well the law [in Moldova - Editor's note]; as far as I know the president has the prerogative to grant citizenship, while here [in Romania - Editor's note] has the government, and the president has the prerogative to withdraw the citizenship. So, it is possible for him to withdraw it. He will attract disputes with unionists, that's for sure," said Basescu on B1 TV channel, when asked what he thought about Dodon's statements.

Basescu said that if he had the power he doubled the number of scholarships for young Moldovans and eliminate the fee for recovery of citizenship, in response to Dodon's gesture that requested assistance from Russia "to stop the Romanization of Moldovan citizens".

"In fact, we generated a process of de-sovietization there, providing 5,000 scholarships annually to Moldovan youth and restoring citizenship. Unfortunately, here we have a wrong attitude of the government who put huge taxes for citizenship,  for obtaining the citizenship, 550 euros for a lousy Moldovan to regain citizenship. From Moldovan citizens we want to do a fortune for MFA? It should be made tax-free, that would be the answer to Dodon's statements zero taxes for those applying for citizenship. Increasing the number of scholarships from 5,000 to 10,000. That's what i would do if I were in power. I would give him an answer without cursing Dodon - withdraw the Moldovan citizenship of Traian Basescu, but if i feel Romanian up Dniester, Dodon cannot do anything to me, with or without citizenship, but I would announce that we increase the number of scholarships from 5000 to 10000 for young people in Moldova and that consular fees for recovery of citizenship are zero lei," said the PMP President.

Source: agerpres