PROSECUTOR GENERAL’S POST IS SOUGHT BY 20 CANDIDATES

Twenty persons have applied for participation in the contest for becoming the Republic of Moldova’s Prosecutor General and, according to the Ministry of Justice, there is not a single woman among the contesters.

Among the candidates there are several names of law experts of a nation-wide renown such as e.g. Anatol Istrate, Vladislav Gribincea, Stefan Gligor – the Program Director at the Center for Policies and Reforms (CPR), former Deputy Prosecutor General Alexander Stoianoglo and other.

Last week, the Ministry of Justice determined the composition of a contest commission to select a new Prosecutor General. The 7-member body is headed by Minister Olesea Stamati. Among commission members are ex-judge Raisa Botezatu; international prosecution expert James Hamilton; Doctor of Law Sergiu Baiesu, a Moldova State University professor; Igor Botan, Director of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) delegated to the commission as a civil society representative; national expert Dumitru Postovan, delegated by the Parliament Speaker; psychologist Tatiana Buyanina (without the right to vote). MoJ Personnel Department Director Natalia Graur has been appointed as Commission Secretary.

Applicants for the high post are to meet the following requirements: Republic of Moldova citizenship; a good command of the Romanian language; minimum 10-year experience of practical work in the law field, of which minimum 5 years in the position of a prosecutor or a judge, or minimum 8 years as an advocate or a criminal prosecution officer.

The contest is closed to persons who in last 3 years were members of any political party or socio-political organization, or were involved in political activities in whatever form, as well as to persons who were Members of the Superior Council of Magistracy over last 6 months.

The new rules of appointing Prosecutor General entered into force last September 21. According to them, a candidate for the post is elected by means of a public contest, at whose 1st stage candidates are selected by the independent contest commission formed by the Ministry of Justice. At the 2nd stage, the Superior Council of Prosecutors will analyze the commission-proposed list of selected candidates and will choose a best candidacy to be proposed to the President of Moldova for approval.

The Prosecutor General post became vacant last July 11, when previous Prosecutor Eduard Harunjen stepped down. Presently, the Prosecutor General’s duties are performed by Acting Prosecutor General Dumitru Robu, who may not take part in the contest, according to its rules.