PRESIDENT REGAINS RIGHT TO NOMINATE CANDIDATE FOR ISS DIRECTOR

The Parliament approved in a first reading a draft law on returning to the President the authority to nominate a candidate for Director of the Information and Security Service (ISS). The bill was supported by most of MPs on Tuesday.

MP Vasile Bolea of the PSRM said while presenting the document that by means of the Law dated December 9, 2016, a number of amendments were made to the legislation, which considerably reduced the president's powers in the issue of security and defense.

"The head of the state was deprived of the right to coordinate the ISS activity, to conduct monitoring and to nominate candidate for Service director, as well as to propose to dismiss him, to appoint deputy directors and confirm the composition of the Service board", he reminded.

According to the MP, the ISS is an agency of state security system, thus it should be subjected to double control to ensure balance in coordinating actions and in making decisions. The sides of control should be the president as Chairman of the Supreme Security Council and as Commander-in-Chief of country's armed forces, and the Parliament as the state's highest body, representing the people.

MP Vladimir Cebotari of the DP doubted the appropriateness of returning the ISS under the command of president, given the fact that the head of state is under investigation on involvement in actions in interest of a foreign state.

His fellow party member, ex-Minister of the Interior Alexandru Jizdan said that the draft is an attempt to transform the ISS into a branch office of foreign intelligence services.

MP Igor Grosu of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) said to Democrats that by means of these changes in ISS monitoring, a balance will be created and a tougher control from the side of the Parliament.

"We will be able to completely release the ISS from the control of a single party and we assure we will not hide behind European practices to use them for servicing just one party, but not the country", he stated.

Grosu reminded to colleagues from DP that it is by means of the ISS Turkish teachers were expelled from Moldova and imprisoned in their motherland.

"Let me remind you about transferring our embassy to Israel, which had a very strong impact on our country's security, as it is about the Arab world. Please, also recall the citizenship in exchange for investments, which also causes serious damage and raises questions concerning our security and preserving the visa-free regime with EU countries. And the last, but not the least are all the schemes connected with the Transnistrian region, which also caused great damage", the MP said, criticizing these actions of the recently-ruling DP.

He maintains that the ISS will become a structure able to protect the country from usurping and foreign influence, thus, if Democrats want to work, let them come to the Parliament and work, but not manipulate public opinion.

The Parliament also repeatedly voted for returning the State Guarding Service under the command of President. After the adopted changes enter into force, the Service Director will be appointed at the order of the head of state, but not prime minister.