CHISINAU, April 23 (Itar-Tass) - Moldova’s Constitution Court on Monday passed a ruling on the illegitimacy of nomination of the Acting Prime Minister, Vlad Filat, for the post of Prime Minister.
A unanimous decision of the Constitution Court arbiters was announced late at night.
“Decree issued by President Nicolae Timofti April 10, 2013, on nominating a candidate for the post of Prime Minister is hereby recognized as unconstitutional,” the court’s resolution says. “The head of a cabinet who was dismissed through a no-confidence vote on suspicions of corruption is unable to carry on the prime-ministerial mandate.”
“The President of Moldova is expected to appoint an Acting Prime Minister from among the government members, whose decency is not called into question,” the resolution says.
A query was filed with the court by the Liberal Party the leader of which, Mihai Ghimpu, believes that the prime-ministerial duties should be performed for the time being by a cabinet member.
Judging by the reactions from lawyers and politicians who could be contacted Monday night, none of them could explain for the court ruling properly, as it called into question endorsement of a new cabinet in parliament. The cabinet is being formed by Vlad Filat upon the President’s instruction.
Earlier in the day, Ghimpu reached agreement with parliament speaker Marian Lupu, who leads the Democratic Party, on the composition and program of the new cabinet.
Under the national Constitution, Filat has only three days left for forming a new cabinet. Liberal Democrats who have 31 seats in parliament out of the total 101 seats there.
One more political force supporting him is the Liberal Democratic Party that has 15 parliamentary mandates. They were joined by six MPs who had abandoned the Liberal Party a week ago in protest of Ghimpu’s refusal to support Filat.
Thus Filat has practically secured support of 52 candidates, or a parliamentary majority. They have enough votes to endorse the cabinet if need be.