MOLDOVAN POLITICAL-MILITARY CRISIS ERUPTS.

President Mircea Snegur yesterday made public a request to Moldova’s prosecutor general to investigate and take unspecified, "urgent measures" against the defense minister, Lt. General Pavel Creanga for allegedly condoning misappropriation of military funds and "inciting the military to open rebellion against the president." Snegur also demanded measures against the government daily Moldova Suverana for allegedly revealing military secrets and "casting doubt on the actions of the president and commander in chief, thereby creating an unhealthy social atmosphere." Simultaneously with Snegur’s step, 19 active-duty generals and colonels issued an appeal for the immediate dismissal of Creanga, claiming that most officers "disagree with" the Constitutional Court’s decree which ruled Snegur’s March attempt to dismiss Creanga unconstitutional. Pointedly stating that they "control most of the army’s units," the signatories warned that failure to dismiss Creanga may produce "an explosion of military discontent." In the consensus of local observers, the signatories represent only a small part of the officer corps.

General Prosecutor Dumitru Postovan reiterated at a closed-doors parliamentary session June 20 that repeated investigations had not revealed any major misappropriation in the Defense Ministry, nor any unlawful actions on Creanga’s part. Creanga issued June 24 a statement that he would resist anyone’s use of troops for seizing control of the ministry. Snegur had unlawfully done so when first dismissing the minister in March. Under the Moldovan constitution and laws, only the prime minister may initiate the dismissal of a minister. (Basapress, Flux, June 24 through 27)

Government Appeals to Constitutional Court.