The Communist Party has appealed in the Constitutional Court the ban imposed by Parliament on the use of the communist insignia the hammer-and-sickle for political purposes. The measure has already been published in the official gazette and is to take effect on October 1, Info-Prim Neo reports. Communist MP Sergiu Sirbu argues the measure violates a number of rights enshrined in the Constitution, including the right to freedom of expression. He also claims that, rather than being a condemnation of totalitarian communism, the measure aims at driving the Communist Party out of Moldova's political life. The failure to comply with the ban entails fines of up to 3,000 lei for individuals and up to 10,000 for legal entities. The measure, which is part of a broader bill condemning the crimes of the totalitarian communist regime, was adopted by the Alliance parliamentarians at the last sitting of the Parliament's spring/summer session.