13:47 10.01.2018

Moldovan Socialists urge people to prepare for protests following president's suspension

3 min read
Moldovan Socialists urge people to prepare for protests following president's suspension

The Party of Socialists of Moldova (PSRM), which holds 24 of the 101 seats in the Moldovan parliament, has called on its adherents to support President Igor Dodon, whom the Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended from performing his duties.

"Amid the current conditions of manipulations and provocations of the illegitimate government and the abuse of the constitution, only the head of state's clear and firm position can protect the interests of Moldovan citizens and of the state as a whole," the PSRM said in a statement circulated on Wednesday.

"The PSRM's leadership is categorically against new attempts by the ruling majority with the help of the puppet Constitutional Court to seize absolute power and dismiss the nationally elected president," it said.

The PSRM supports Dodon's decision to oppose the appointment to top government positions of candidates who have compromised themselves and the adoption of anti-popular laws, it said.

"At the very first plenary meetings of the parliament's spring and summer session, the PSRM will present initiatives on passing a vote of no confidence in the new government members endorsed in circumvention of the constitutional norms," the statement said.

"The latest actions by the ruling regime have once again confirmed that the Party of Socialists' position is right: the only opportunity for the nationally elected president to put into practice the will of the citizens who elected him is to switch to a presidential form of governance," it said.

The PSRM urged all of its adherents "to support Igor Dodon's efforts to establish truly democratic rule in the republic and be fully ready to respond to the head of state's call to come to Chisinau in large numbers to liberate the country from this regime."

The ruling Democratic Party decided at the end of 2017 to rearrange the government. At the party's initiative, five government ministers and the deputy prime minister for reintegration were dismissed. Dodon signed decrees on their dismissals at Prime Minister Pavel Filip's proposal but categorically refused to appoint seven new government ministers.

After the president twice refused to appoint government members, parliamentarians from the Democratic Party appealed to the Constitutional Court, which ultimately resolved that "the president deliberately rejected the candidates for ministerial positions" and declared him "temporarily incapable of performing his official duties."

The court confirmed that "the president is entitled to refuse to endorse a candidate for a government member only once." If the prime minister nominates the same candidate again and if the parliament passes the same legislation again, the president is obliged to make the appointments. As the president failed to perform these duties, the Constitutional Court temporarily suspended him and delegated the presidential powers to the parliamentary speaker.

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