Moldovan top court suspends parliament decision on dismissing energy regulator's directors

Chisinau, 4 December /MOLDPRES/ - The Constitutional Court (CC) has ruled to temporarily cease the effects of the parliament decision from 3 December, under which the four directors of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE), whose mandates were to expire in 2019 and respectively, 2020, were dismissed.

The Court will consider the notification signed by MPs Andrian Candu, Sergiu Sirbu and Stefan Creanga on 8 December 2015. The notification's authors claim that, under the decision which cancelled the decisions on the appointment of ANRE director to office, the law on energy is not observed.  

According to this law, the ANRE director can be dismissed from office by the parliament only if he/she loses Moldova's citizenship, cannot exercise the post duties on health grounds, is elected to another post. Also, the ANRE head is dismissed in case of committing offences and is in incompatibility.

At the same time, the notification's authors say that  "the beheading of such an institution as ANRE, in the full swing of the heating season, leaves an extremely important sector uncovered, without control and efficient management, especially as under recent legislative regulations, this institution is obliged to revise the gas rates and exercise other legal powers of major importance within 15 days at the latest." 

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)