​MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT, SPEAKER AND PREMIER HOLD FIRST MEETING…

On Tuesday, Moldovan President Igor Dodon, Parliament Chairman Andrian Candu and Prime Minister Pavel Filip held their first meeting ever since the presidential election held last November 13. For an hour and a half, the nation’s three de-jure main personalities were exchanging opinions on the key questions of Moldova’s domestic and foreign policies.

President Dodon said afterwards: “We discussed many essential problems. I brought my position on the issues to the knowledge of the parliament chairman and prime minister who represent the incumbent state power. I emphasized that I would not give in on principal issues. Nevertheless, we must collaborate to ensure the functionality of the state institutions we represent. We may have differing positions on questions of the domestic and foreign policies. But in what concerns support for the population, rendering help, solving of citizens’ vital problems there may be no discord of opinions!”

He stressed the same approach must be applied to the questions of attracting of investments and of creating a favorable business environment.

“We welcome everybody wishing to come to Moldova with investments – all who wish to create jobs here. In these questions, we are open to investors and all people of business. In this sphere, there may be no rivalry between the institutions of state power”, said the Moldovan President.

Igor Dodon won the second round of the presidential election on November 13, 2016 and was sworn in on December 23. He was the candidate of the Party of Socialists that is oppositional to the ruling coalition represented by Andrian Candu and Pavel Filip.

…BUT FAIL TO REACH CONSENSUS ON MAIN ISSUES OF COUNTRY’S POLICIES

President Igor Dodon, Speaker Andrian Candu and Premier Filip have failed to achieve a consensus on the fundamental questions of the country’s external and domestic policies, the three officials announced at a press briefing on Tuesday.

President Dodon said that at the trio meeting, he presented his position on 4 such main questions, but saw that the coalition representatives stood at “a diametrically different” stance. The four questions were: cooperation with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union [of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, EAES]; initiative on amending the Constitution and investing the President with the authority to disband the Parliament; the opening of a NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau; and annulment of the law on converting the billion euros, embezzled from Moldovan banks, into a state debt.

“I explained my serious objections to the EU-Moldova Association Agreement. Due to the damage Moldova has incurred due to signing this Agreement, the level of the society’s trust in the European Union has slid to the lowest level over last 20 years”, said Igor Dodon.

He reaffirmed that at the forum of the EAES leadership, to be held in Chisinau on April 3-4, he will sign a Memorandum of cooperation with the EAES, “and today I informed the Speaker and the Premier about this. The document will not contradict to any other international agreements signed by Moldova”.

Touching on domestic political issues, the President said that in the nearest future he would lodge with the Parliament his legislative initiative on introducing amendments to the Constitution so as to expand presidential plenary powers, in particular – to let the head of state disband parliament.

“I hope the Parliament will support this initiative. If not, we are reserving the right to initiate a referendum on this issue”, said the President.

For the first time ever, Igor Dodon stated that a proposal may be put forward on changing the form of governance in Moldova – from the current parliamentary into the presidential form.

“There are two variants of a constitutional reform: [1] to invest the president with the authority to dissolve parliament – according to voters’ wish. But there is a more radical variant – [2] transition to the presidential form of governance”, said Igor Dodon.

He also admitted the possibility to hold a referendum on yet another question – concerning annulment of the law on converting the billion euros, stolen from Moldovan banks by a handful of thieves, into the nation’s state debt to be shouldered on the entire population.

“This is a principal question. I hope the Parliament will consider this presidential legislative initiative. If not, we will apply to the Moldovan people and will organize a referendum”, said the President.

The 4th principal question on which the three interlocutors failed to reach a consensus was the opening of a NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau.

“My firm position is: we do not need any NATO Office here. Should it be nevertheless opened, I will do my best to close it down one day. Moldova is a neutral state, and any encroachments on its neutrality are impermissible. The idea to open a NATO Office in Chisinau is but a provocation, which we must curb at the root”, stressed Igor Dodon.