The absolute majority created in Moldova’s Parliament insists that namely the first deputy chairman of the Democratic Party (PDM) Vlad Plahotniuc should be nominated by President Nicolae Timofti as a candidate for premiership. In the evening of January 13, the majority issued a statement after earlier the same day the head of state rejected the candidature of Vlad Plahotniuc, IPN reports.
The statement says that the 56 MPs who formed the parliamentary majority consider the motives invoked for rejecting the candidate are unsubstantiated. “As to the Parliament Decision No. 5 of February 15, 2013, to which the presidential institution makes reference, we note that this legal act was adopted following the personal request of Vladimir Plahotniuc to be dismissed from post, made in 2013, and as a result of the political vote in Parliament. We underline that the reference to the Constitutional Court’s decision concerning integrity has no relevance in the case of the candidate proposed by us. This fact was proven by the decision of the Constitutional Court No. 10 of November 18, 2014. Thus, we reiterate that the concerns mentioned in the press release of the presidential press service cannot be confirmed based on the Constitution and the case law of the Constitutional Court,” reads the document.
The signatories state their preoccupation with the development of the social, economic and political situation in the country and reassert the determination to support the candidature of Vlad Plahotniuc for the post of Prime Minister. They say they assume this support with all the responsibility, being fully confident in their judgment and in the judgment of most of the MPs.
“In conclusion, we call on President Nicolae Timofti to take into account the wish expressed by the absolute majority formed in Moldova’s Parliament and to act in accordance with the national interest and the Supreme Law. We declare unanimously and unambiguously that Vlad Plahotniuc was proposed for Prime Minister in strict compliance with the constitutional provisions, including the Constitutional Court’s decision of December 29, 2015. The decision was formalized by an absolute majority of MPs. According to the High Court, there are no constitutional or democratic reasons for the head of state not to nominate a person supported by a parliamentary majority for Prime Minister, even if this candidate is not accepted by the President,” reads the statement.
Of the 56 MPs who formed the absolute parliamentary majority, the statement was signed by the chairman of the PDM Marian Lupu, the representative of the 14 former Communist MPs Violeta Ivanov, the leader of the Liberal Party Mihai Ghimpu and the representative of the seven Liberal-Democratic MPs who decided to vote the candidate proposed by the majority Ion Balan.
The parliamentary majority proposed Vlad Plahotniuc for the post of Prime Minister on January 13. The same day the head of state announced that he rejected the candidate for the reason that this does not meet the integrity criteria and gave the parliamentary majority time until January 14, 12 noon, to suggest another candidate.
