The lawmakers, ministers and deputy ministers who form part of the Council for Reforming the Liberal Party challenged in the Justice Ministry the April 13 decision of the party’s National Council, by which they ere excluded from the party. MP Ion Hadarca told a news conference on April 22 that the party’s statutes were violated, IPN reports.

MP Oleg Bodrug said they disputed the decision in the Justice Ministry because it is the institution that monitors the political parties and how they obey the law.  Under the statutes of the Liberal Party, the exclusion of the party’s deputy chairpersons is approved by the decision of the Congress, not of the National Council, while the heads of the local organizations are discharged at the Local Conference. The members of the party have the right to state their opinions in all the party’s forums and to submit political initiatives for debates. Any limitation of this right is banned.

The members of the Council for Reforming the Liberal Party asked the Justice Ministry to annul the decisions adopted by the National Congress on April 13 and to reinstate the members who were excluded from the party and deprived of the executive posts they held.

Acting Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta said that new signatures are put to the statement in favor of holding the party’s congress every day. In the congress, they will consider replacing the party’s leader Mihai Ghimpu with first deputy chairman Dorin Chirtoaca. Eight of the 34 local organizations signed the statement. They need 50% plus 1 proceedings in order to organize the congress, which is 18.

On April 13, the National Council of the Liberal Party voted for excluding five lawmakers from the party, including first deputy chairman Ion Hadarca, secretary general Oleg Bodrug, MPs Ana Gutu, Anatol Arhire, and Vadim Vacarciuc.