site.btaTaraclia Mayor Veaceslav Lupov Resigns

The mayor of the city of Taraclia, Veaceslav Lupov, has resigned. He announced it in a statement released on social media. Lupov made his decision public two days after the politician Ilan Shor, convicted in absentia and currently in Russia, said that he was withdrawing his political support from Moldova, writes moldovalibera.md.

In his message, Lupov says he is resigning because, in his view, the central authorities are obstructing the work of the local administration and the development of the city. He cites as achievements the renovation of courtyards, the construction of playgrounds, the reconstruction of the kindergarten, modern street lighting, and social allowances for pensioners, all implemented through projects associated with Ilan Shor.

Lupov criticizes the actions of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity and accuses the authorities of blocking initiatives of the local administration.

According to information from the local news portal tuk.md, the mayor has not been residing in Taraclia for the past six months. He has been signing his orders with an electronic signature, has used all of his statutory paid leave, and has taken unpaid leave more than ten times. His duties are currently being performed temporarily by Deputy Mayor Marta Kemenchedzhi.

Veaceslav Lupov won the local elections in 2019 and assumed the position of mayor of Taraclia representing the Shor party. In the summer of 2023, the political formation of the fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor was declared illegal and dissolved. In the elections on November 5, 2023, Lupov, who ran for a second term, received almost 90% of the vote as an independent candidate.

Ilan Shor was convicted in absentia in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with the case known as the “theft of the century,” involving the disappearance of USD 1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014. At the time, the amount represented 12% of the country’s GDP.

According to data from the 2024 census, the city of Taraclia has a population of 10,021 people, 90% of whom are ethnic Bulgarians.