JURIST ION PADURARU APPOINTED AS CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER

On Thursday night, Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti signed a decree on appointing Secretary General of the Presidential Chancellery Office Ion Paduraru as candidate for the prime ministerial post.

“I have made a conscious choice in conformity with the Constitution. Ihavetakenintoaccountthecandidate’smoralqualities. Mr. Paduraru had been a Deputy Minister and Minister of Justice. He is a person of good organizational abilities. I believe he will manage with this high post. I hope the Parliament will vote for the government of Premier Ion Paduraru”, said the head of state.

In his turn, Ion Paduraru said he would form a government of professionals and politicians, and would try to build a correct dialog with parliamentary factions to thus persuade them into voting confidence in his governmental team “because an early parliamentary election cannot be a solution for the country”.

In his words, his government’s work program will be based on the provisions of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement.

“We've had a very long day today. Mr. Timofti’s decision was a surprise to me. With an account of the situation, I have agreed to become the candidate”, said Paduraru.

Now Ion Paduraru is supposed to present to parliament for approval the lineup and work program of his government – all within maximum 15 days.

The previous Moldovan Government of Premier Valeriu Strelet was dismissed on October 29. At the end of December, President Nicolae Timofti proposed for the prime ministerial post the candidacy of business tycoon Ion Sturza, who had already held this post in February-November 1999. However, on January 4 the extraordinary plenary meeting of the Moldovan Parliament, convened to approve the Sturza Government, was upset due to a lack of quorum.

Ion Paduraru is a professional jurist and lawyer. He was born in the Tipletesti village (Singerei raion) on January 18, 1961. Worked as a judge, was Minister of Justice in 1998-1999, then had a vast practice as a lawyer, and chaired the Chisinau City Bar Association. Since April 2012, he has been Secretary General of the Presidential Chancellery Office. Ion Paduraru is married and has two children.

As President Timofti has appointed the candidate without the Parliament’s consent, experts are regarding Paduraru’s chances for success as close to nil. To approve the candidate and his governmental team, it is necessary to have minimum 51 votes in the Parliament of 101. If the Parliament fails to appoint the new Government and its work program by January 29, the President must dissolve this Parliament and set a date for an early parliamentary election.