FORMER CC CHAIRMAN REPRESENTING MOLDOVA IN VENICE COMMISSION

Moldovan Constitutional Court ex-Chairman Alexandru Tanase is representing the Republic of Moldova in the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. At the Commission’s session Friday, he is defending the bill on Moldova’s transition to the mixed electoral system [from the current proportional representation system].

Tanase’s participation in the Venice Commission session became a surprise for the Moldovan public. His term of office in the Constitutional Court expired on April 8. The CC Judges elected a new Chairperson from among themselves, and the Government appointed Victoria Iftodi to the vacant position of a judge. Tanase did not participate in the contest for that vacancy. He voiced discontent about the Government’s decision, after which he restored his license of a lawyer and stated he was returning to advocacy activities.

Nobody knows when Tanase was appointed as Moldova’s Permanent Representative at the Venice Commission. He was placed to the post by the Ministry of Justice, but it did not report anything. The information that Alexandru Tanase is Moldova’s new Representative at the Venice Commission appeared on the commission’s website. Before, that post was held by Deputy Minister of Justice Nicolae Esanu, who has now become Tanase’s Deputy Permanent Representative in the Commission.

On Friday, the Venice Commission is holding its ordinary session and, inter alia, is to consider the Moldovan Parliament’s bill on the country’s transition to the mixed electoral system. This question is standing under number 11 on the agenda.

The session is being attended by a substantial delegation from the Moldovan Parliament some other institutions led by Speaker Andrian Candu. It includes also MPs Valeriu Ghiletchi, Sergiu Sirbu, Vasile Bolea as well as Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari, and Maxim Lebedinschi – the Adviser on Legal and Institutional Issues, the Presidential Representative for Relations with the Parliament and Government, all being the supporters of the voting system change.