CHISINAU, November 13. /TASS/. Moldovan President Igor Dodon has nominated his economic advisor Ion Kiku for the position of the republic’s prime minister, which needs to be approved by the parliament. During Wednesday’s briefing, Dodon said that he had signed the corresponding decree.
"Ion Kiku is nominated for the position of prime minister," the president said, calling on the parliament to support his decision. In accordance with the Moldovan law, Kiku has 15 days to form a cabinet and a program that he will then present for the approval of parliament.
Dodon expects that Kiku’s candidacy will be supported by Moldova’s Party of Socialists (PRSM) and the Democratic Party of Moldova. If the parliament refuses to back Kiku’s nomination, the president will have one more attempt to nominate somebody for the position of PM. The law stipulates that a new government must be formed by February 12; otherwise, the parliament will be dissolved.
On November 12, the Moldovan parliament voted in favor of the no-confidence motion against Moldovan PM Maya Sandu’s government. Her resignation, initiated by the Party of Socialists, was backed by lawmakers of the opposition’s Democratic Party of Moldova. On Wednesday, Dodon accepted the resignation of Maia Sandu’s cabinet, which will continue to fulfill its obligations until a new government is formed.
In June, the Party of Socialists created a parliamentary majority jointly with ACUM in order to oppose the Democratic Party led by oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, which controlled the former parliament and the cabinet. The oligarch was accused of corruption and an attempt to usurp power. Later, Plahotniuc left the country, stepping down as the party’s leader. The conflict in the coalition broke out over the election of the new prosecutor-general, who will have a key role in reforming judicial bodies and dismantling the system established by the oligarch.