On 9 May 2013 Dmitry Rogozin spoke at a press-conference in Tiraspol that became a tipping point in the today’s political process in the region.
Rogozin spoke about the coming massive investments of hundreds of millions of dollars to Transnistria. He promised that Russian Federation will help Transnistria to buy new ambulance cars, to build a Child Health Center, Cancer Center, TB Hospital, new university buildings.
Rogozin intends to bring all these projects to life in the coming year and a half, during Shevchuk’s first term.
The help will come through the organization named “Eurasian Integration”.
Such a declaration from a high Russian official thundered at a time when the Transnistrian government institutions attacked the local opposition: on 8 May 2013 Transnistrian internet provider-monopolist blocked the access to about 10 opposition resources and forums, including those controlled by ex-officers of MGB PMR (Ministry of State Security of Transnistria), who had quit voluntarily on principle after the regime change.
Since Eugene Shevchuk came to power, hundreds of his opponents – sitting politicians, journalists, ex-representatives of law-enforcement bodies – have had to leave the region under threat of prosecution.
At the same period of time the political party “PRORIV!” (“Breakthrough”) was closed down in Transnistria on impeachable motives.
By his visit to Tiraspol and by the subject of the visit Dmitry Rogozin made it finally clear that Kremlin fully supports Eugene Shevchuk.
Such global promises made by Rogozin about multi-million expenses in Transnistria are impossible without the factor of some certain figure responsible for such funds. Russia’s authorities demonstrated their absolute trust in the head of Transnistria. It is another signal that came after the announcement about the coming visit of Patriarch of ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) Kirill to Tiraspol.
Such a total support from Russia completely gives Transnistria’s law-enforcement bodies a free hand in their struggle against opposition and in establishing total, sweeping, unprecedented for the post-soviet space political censorship.
Thus, Dmitry Rogozin claimed responsibility for all the actions and measures conducted by the todays head of Transnistria and his team. Shevchuk’s regime in Transnistria that was at the edge of self-destruction not long ago, today is stronger than ever.
Despite the obvious public comedown of all the power structures of Transnistria, such a touching support of Shevchuk by the official Kremlin means that Russia leaves little choice to Transnistrians but to either accept the reality with Shevchuk and his methods of governance and his team at power for the coming years, or pack bags and drive off into sunset.
