Moldovan parliamentary majority repeatedly nominates Vladimir Plahotniuc for premier office

Chisinau, 14 January /MOLDPRES/-The parliamentary majority repeatedly nominated Vladimir Plahotniuc as a candidate for the prime minister office. The announcement was made via a petition signed by 56 MPs, published on the official web page of the Democratic Party (PD) last night.

According to the petition signed by Marian Lupu, Violeta Ivanov, Mihai Ghimpu and Ion Balan, the parliamentary majority deems President Nicolae Timofti’s decision to turn down Plahotniuc’s candidature as groundless.

“We believe the reasons enunciated in the presidency’s press release are unfounded and unsupported by evidence or actions. In this context, we reaffirm our determination to appoint Vladimir Plahotniuc for the position of prime minister. We take responsibility for our support, being fully confident in our judgment and the judgment of the 56 MPs,” the petition reads.

The MPs asked the president to take into account the will of the Moldovan absolute parliamentary majority.

“We declare unanimously and unequivocally that Vladimir Plahotniuc is nominated for the position of prime minister in strict compliance with the constitutional norms, inclusively taking notice of the Constitutional Court’s (CC) ruling No. 32 of 29 December 2015. The decision was formalized by the absolute majority of the Moldovan MPs, and according to CC, there are no constitutional or democratic impediments for the president to appoint for the office of prime minister a candidate who is supported by the parliamentary majority, though in opposition with the president,” the document states.

According to Democrat leader Marian Lupu, the decision was taken by PDM’s Political Bureau on 13 January. “The president shall decide whether he will sign the decree approving Vlad Plahotniuc as the candidate for the office of prime minister,” Lupu said.

Yesterday, President Timofti announced he turned down the candidature of Vladimir Plahotniuc for the office of prime minister. “There is reasonable suspicion, according to which the candidate nominated by the parliamentary majority fails to meet the integrity principles needed to be appointed as prime minister,” a press release issued by the presidency reads.

According to the same press release, “the president suggests that the parliamentary majority finds another candidate for the office of prime minister, able to meet the above-mentioned integrity criteria and inform the president of their decision in compliance with the legal procedure by 14 January 2016, 12:00”.

As the ruling of the Constitutional Court states, the Moldovan parliament shall be dissolved and snap elections announced if a new government is not created by 29 January 2016.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, Editor A. Raileanu)