Moldova president starts consultations to form new cabinet

CHISINAU, March 6 (Itar-Tass) – Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti on Wednesday began consultations on the formation of a new cabinet with the leaders of the Liberal-Democratic, Democratic and Liberal parties, which participated in the ruling Alliance for European Integration that has split.

“We held the first at which we did not aim to achieve any arrangement. The leaders of the parties will continue the consultations and then we will meet again,” Timofti said after the talks. He expressed annoyance over publications in the Moldovan press about politicians bringing pressure on him. “Having been a judge in the past, I am immune to pressure,” he said.

The Moldovan parliament the other day dismissed the cabinet headed by Liberal-Democrat Vlad Filat. Despite the objection of President Timofti to the cabinet’s dismissal, that decision received the votes of members of the opposition Party of Communists, Democrats and a group of independent deputies. Now, in accordance with the Constitution, the head of state, after consultations with the parliamentary factions, must present the candidature of a new premier to parliament for endorsement within 45 days.

“I am sure that if all the leaders show a sense of responsibility and political maturity, we will be able to conclude the talks within ten days and begin endorsing a new cabinet,” Marian Lupu, the parliamentary speaker and the leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters. He said the Democrats are ready to consider any candidature to premiership, except for former head of the cabinet, Filat.

Observers do not rule out the possibility of parliament being dissolved, as the ruling coalition formed in December 2010 of Liberal-Democrats, Liberals, and Democrats spit up, does not function and cannot form a new cabinet. The Liberal-Democrats led by Filat (holding 31seats) quit the coalition a fortnight ago. The Democrats and Liberals have 27 seats in the 101-seat parliament. The remaining seats are held by Communists (34 seats) and independent deputies.

The situation within the ruling coalition aggravated after the Liberal-Democrats led by the premier and the Communists voted in parliament for dismissal of first deputy speaker Vlad Plahotniuc. He is regarded in Moldova as one of the wealthiest and most influential people and the main opponent to the premier. The demarche by Filat and his demand to revise the previous arrangements on the division of powers brought forth criticism of the colleagues - the leader of Democrats, Marian Lupu, and the head of Liberals, Mihai Ghimpu. They demanded dismissal of the cabinet, and the Communists supported the demand. The Communists’ leader, ex-president Vladimir Voronin, told Itar-Tass the Party of Communists presses for parliament’s dissolution and early elections.