“Since 2014, I have never once called for joining either the Eurasian Economic Union or the European Union,” said Renato Usatii, chairman of Our Party. He said on TV8 on Thursday evening that he had always advocated only for “Moldova’s national interest”.

The politician said he favors such a referendum, where the choice of the country’s further development path should be chosen by the people.

“Only citizens can decide the direction of Moldova’s development,” Usatii stressed, saying that the October 20 referendum initiated by President Maia Sandu is a referendum for her second mandate as head of the Moldovan state.

According to him, President Sandu should have invited the leaders of all political parties before deciding on the referendum and persuaded them to urge their voters to go to the referendum and express their opinion on Moldova’s external course.

“I don’t understand why we need to hold a referendum twice – before Moldova’s accession to the European Union and before the accession, which is already openly talked about today,” Usatii asked.

Asked why he did not participate in a meeting of opposition politicians organized by journalist Natalia Morar, where the nomination of a single neutral presidential candidate was discussed, Usatii said: “I can’t imagine how I could sit when Igor Dodon (leader of the Party of Socialists) is sitting on my left and Vlad Filat (leader of the Liberal Democratic Party) is sitting on my right.”