​EX-CHAIRMEN OF PARLIAMENT TO BE DEPRIVED OF DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS AND PRIVILEGES IN UTILITY SERVICE PAYMENTS

Former Speakers of the Parliament will not benefit from privileges at paying utility services and are deprived of the diplomatic passport. Corresponding changes to the Law on status of diplomat were approved in a first reading at the plenary sitting on Friday.

Law author, Socialist MP Vasile Bolea said that the acting law does not explain which should be the privileges at utility service payments, which leaves space for interpretation.

“Moreover, not even country President or other officials have such privileges. We have to cancel this provision to equalize all citizens in rights”, he explained.

Many deputies, including leader of the Moldovan Communist Party Vladimir Voronin and Speaker of the Parliament Andrian Candu, supported the initiative and said that this provision is not working, while ex-chairmen do not use privileges.

The draft deprives of privileges deputies of the 12th parliament, who occupied paid positions in the legislature, MPs of the 13th parliament, as well as deputies of former Supreme Soviet of the Moldovan Soviet Republic, who had held paid positions in the Soviet.