PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY UPSETS FORUM’S PLENARY MEETING

The parliamentary majority of Socialists and Democrats have upset the plenary meeting of the Moldovan Parliament scheduled for Thursday despite the continuing state of emergency in the republic.

According to initial plan, the meeting was going to hear Prime Minister Ion Chicu, who intended to present the Law on certain measures to support the population and economic activities in Moldova in the state of emergency period. On Wednesday, the Law was adopted by the Government under its own responsibility – without waiting for the Parliament’s blessing of the document,

The parliamentary factions of the Party of Socialists (PSRM) and the Democratic Party (DPM), which on March 16 formed a governing coalition of 58-of-101 Members of Parliament, did not come for the plenary meeting today. They stated yet beforehand that they supported the Government-adopted Law. As a result, the plenary meeting was upset for lack of a quorum because there were only 39 MPs in the session room.
Having announced this, Parliament Speaker Zinaida Greceanii walked out of the room. She thanked Prime Minister Ion Chicu for coming, which was met with loud cries “Disgrace!” by the opposition.

Andrian Candu, leader of the parliamentary Pro Moldova group, named the situation “a circus performance organized by the parliamentary majority and the Government”.

“The parliamentary majority would not care to observe elementary democratic procedures. We are so disappointed with their insolent, disgusting behavior. According to usual procedure, the Prime Minister must have presented in the Parliament the draft law, for which he was going to take responsibility”, said ex-Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu.

MP Sergiu Litvinenco of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) stated that the parliamentary majority had violated legal procedures that had to be observed to make the Law come into force.

“The majority’s actions mean that the law may be eventually declared as a non-constitutional one. Their behavior is but a mockery at citizens”, the deputy stated and brought apologies to the people of Moldova “from behalf of the whole Parliament”.

Deputy Speaker Alexandru Slusari of the DA Platform stated that due to such deeds, parliamentarism is degrading in Moldova and the Parliament as such.

In the conditions of the upset plenary meeting, Prime Minister Ion Chicu presented the bill at a news conference organized for the journalists who were present in the Parliament Building today. Deputy Speaker Mihai Popsoi came to the conference hall specially to upset the document presentation. He started crying “Shame!”

In the current situation, the parliamentary majority believes that the Law comes into effect automatically because the Parliament failed to convene for a plenary meeting.