Moldova. The arbitrariness of Sandu and the throwing of Dodon

The political crisis in Moldova has come to an end. President Maia Sandu has finally announced her plan to dissolve parliament due to its “dysfunctionality.” In response, the parliamentary majority, led by former President Igor Dodon, accuses the president of usurping power and is preparing for retaliatory measures.

Queen move

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This week, the political, constitutional and governmental crisis in Moldova seemed to reach a dead end. The Constitutional Court annulled the presidential decree on the re-nomination of Natalia Gavrilitsa to the post of Prime Minister. For Sandu, this was, as many believed, the last chance to dissolve parliament.

According to the decision of the Constitutional Court, the president is obliged to nominate a candidate for prime minister proposed by a parliamentary majority formed after consultations. Otherwise, the head of state may be removed from office. According to Article 89 of the Constitution, the procedure for suspending the powers of the president provides for the submission of a corresponding initiative by the votes of 33 deputies and its approval in parliament by the constitutional majority, that is, 67 deputies. The final word on presidential impeachment remains with the people, who will be able to speak out in a general referendum.

At a briefing shortly after the Constitutional Court's verdict, President Maia Sandu said she had no intention of complying with the order of the country's only constitutional body. She demanded that the deputies come to a consensus. According to Sandu, consensus can only be expressed in early parliamentary elections and nothing else. She said that she was waiting for March 23, when three months would have passed since the resignation of the Chicu government, and this could become a reason for the dissolution of parliament. If the deputies do not agree, the president invited them to organize a referendum on her removal from her post.

“I don’t hold on to positions. And then let the people decide. This is the essence of democracy,” the head of Moldova said with confidence.

Dodon's last hope

The leader of the Party of Socialists and former president Igor Dodon spent the rest of the week reproaching and insulting the president. He called her both “Führer” and “female praying mantis,” and consistently accused her of misinterpreting the Constitution, ignoring the Basic Law, and usurping power.

Despite all this, the socialists are not going to initiate impeachment to remove Sandu. “There will be no referendum, everyone calm down about this too. What is the point of spending the same 100 million lei (about 5 million euros) on a referendum that is needed for holding elections?! If so, then there will be no elections or referendum. It’s better to use this money to purchase a vaccine against COVID-19,” Dodon said.

The leadership of the Socialist Party supported the statements of its leader. According to their assessment, the parliamentary majority in a situation where the president refuses to nominate their candidate for prime minister can give the interim government expanded powers. And, according to the socialists, 70 deputies are ready to support this initiative.

Parliament of Moldova

In order to prevent Sandu from dissolving parliament, Igor Dodon also announced the intention of the PSRM faction in parliament as part of the parliamentary majority to adopt several bills. These include the already mentioned expansion of the powers of the provisional government, as well as the bill on lustration.

“We proposed a lustration law to remove from office the heads of institutions appointed under Plahotniuc. We will register this law again,” Igor Dodon said in one of his online programs, in which he answers questions from the media and citizens.

“The period of the Plahotniuc regime” in Moldova is a fairly broad and streamlined formulation. If desired, this bill can deprive dozens of politicians, primarily those from the pro-European spectrum, from holding high leadership positions. Including Maia Sandu’s colleagues from the Action and Solidarity Party, and before that from the Liberal Democratic Party.

Ephemeral impeachment

Political analyst Cornel Churya agrees that ideally a “criminal president” who violates the Constitution should be punished by impeachment.

Unfortunately, he said, there is little chance that the current president will be punished. The parliamentary majority does not have the required 67 votes to initiate impeachment to remove Sandu. On the other hand, even if it is possible to organize a referendum, she will most likely win it. Sandu is one of the most popular Moldovan politicians and, according to recent opinion polls, the most trusted by the population. Parliament may have to ask the Constitutional Court whether there are other methods of punishing a “criminal president.”

Cornel Churya

The former chairman of the Constitutional Court of Moldova, Dmitry Pulbere, believes that the country's president, Maia Sandu, is engaged in political games.

According to the expert, Sandu has repeatedly accused former presidents of the country of violating the Constitution, and after taking office she herself began to do the same, forgetting what she had recently promised to her voters.

“If the country’s president continues to act in this way, then a very dangerous precedent may be created in Moldova, when citizens, seeing how those in power act, will consider the law in the country not binding,” concluded Pulbere.

Dmitry Pulbere

Romanian expert Sorin Ionita, in turn, believes that when a political deadlock occurs, it is necessary to dissolve parliament and let the people speak. And in the Republic of Moldova and Romania, the parliament uses all sorts of tricks so as not to lose seats.