Hearing on Communists petition postponed unexpectedly

Without any prior notice, the Supreme Court of Justice postponed today the hearing on a petition by the Communist Party to reassign its appeal challenging Dorin Chirtoaca's re-election as Chisinau Mayor to any other appellate court than the Chisinau Court of Appeals, Info-Prim Neo reports. The attorneys of both parties waited in the lobby for more than two hours for the hearing to start until a doorkeeper notified them of the postponement. “I am surprised by what is happening. A court hearing was called but it didn't take place. I've never had a situation like this before. We should have been notified formally, but all we got was a notice by means of a doorkeeper”, stated the Liberal Party's attorney Ion Casian. Concerning the Communists' petition, Ion Casian said that it was unfounded and that it represented another attempt to delay a final decision on Chirtoaca's re-election. The Communist Party's attorney Pavel Midrigan said he was also surprised. “I cannot explain this situation, maybe the hearing will take place later. I really don't know what the matter is with this postponement”. Last week, after the Centru District Court declared Dorin Chirtoaca to be a lawfully re-elected mayor, the Communist Party appealed. Earlier today, June 30, the Communists requested the reassignment of the case to another court because they suspected the Chisinau Court of Appeals to be politically biased.