PREMIER SAYS PRESIDENTS' ARGUMENTS ARE RIDICULOUS AND POPULIST

Prime Minister Pavel Filip commented on his Facebook page on the explanations given by President Igor Dodon to reluctance to appoint two ministers, proposed by the Premier.

"President Igor Dodon's decline to appoint the two proposed candidates to the posts of ministers is a new violation of the Constitution. The arguments are populist and ridiculous", Filip wrote.

He expressed confidence that the Republic of Moldova is headed by a president, who is often violating the Constitution due to his politicking interests, a president who, on his own desire, is canceling the institutional role a head of state has to play.

"We will again address to the Constitutional Court to resolve this institutional blocking the president is causing", Pavel Filip said.

Honorary Chairman of the Democratic Party Dumitru Diacov expressed a wish that ministers to be appointed in accordance with the Constitution, without the need of forced temporary suspension of the president from the post.

"The president may disagree with candidatures to the posts of ministers, but according to the legislation he is obliged to appoint the proposed candidate as the nomination is the responsibility of the Government and the Premier. It would be great if this time we manage to avoid an unpleasant situation while signing orders", Diacov wrote on Facebook.

According to the legislation, orders on dismissals and appointments should be signed by President Igor Dodon. Before, he was signing dismissing orders, but was refusing to sign orders on appointing new members of the Government. For appointing ministers, the authorities several times resorted to temporary suspension of the President from the post. At the Government's demand, the Constitutional Court issues a corresponding decision, while the President's duties are temporarily performed by Parliament Speaker or Prime Minister. Such a case occurred in January 2018, when five new ministers were appointed.