​FOREIGN MINISTER NATALIA GHERMAN APPOINTED AS ACTING PREMIER OF MOLDOVA

Moldova's Deputy Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Natalia Gherman has been appointed as acting prime minister of the republic, as per the decree signed by President Nicolae Timofti on Monday.

President Timofti presented Natalia Gherman at a special meeting of the Government, which he convened in the State Residence at 10 am today.

The presidential decree was signed due to the resignation submitted by Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici on June 12. That step caused the resignation of the whole Gaburici Government. As this is the first time in Moldova’s history that a prime minister tenders resignation on his own accord, the President addressed to the Constitutional Court with an inquiry concerning how to act in such a situation.

The Constitutional Court explained that the prime minister, upon tendering resignation, may continue performing his duties until the formation of a new government and its swearing in. But if the prime minister refuses to perform his duties, the president must appoint an acting premier from among government members.

President Timofti signed his presidential decree after Gaburici had refused to be an acting prime minister. So, Natalia Gherman will be performing premier’s duties until a new cabinet is sworn in. Natalia Gherman, 46, is the daughter of Moldova's first President Mircea Snegur. She is a career diplomat, who has held various posts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Austria and Sweden. She is divorced, and has an adult son.

According to the Constitution, the president must hold consultations with parliamentary factions, after which is supposed to present a candidacy for prime minister, and entrusts the formation of a new government to the candidate. In 15 days since nomination, the candidate requests the Parliament to vote confidence in the candidate’s governmental team and its work program. The Parliament may be disbanded if it does not vote confidence in the new government 2 times. The parliament has maximum 3 months for forming a government. This deadline expires on September 12. If parliamentary parties fail to agree upon the formation of a new government, the president must dissolve the parliament and appoint a date for an early parliamentary election.