Moldova’s Constitutional Court Suspends President’s Powers

The Constitutional Court of Moldova has temporarily suspended President Igor Dodon from his duties after he failed to approve candidates for state offices.

Previously, Dodon twice rejected minister and vice-premier candidates proposed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip. According to Moldovan law, the president has the right to reject nominations only once, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

The court will now determine whether Filip or Parliamentary Speaker Andrian Candu should carry out the head of state’s duty of approving candidates. In the coming days, one of them will sign decrees on the appointment of new members of the government.

A group of Moldovan MPs submitted the request to suspend the president’s powers to the Constitutional Court in late December.

It wasn’t the first time such a situation has arisen. Earlier, the court allowed Speaker Candu to independently appoint a defense minister after Dodon twice rejected the nominee’s candidacy. Dodon has refused to support ministerial candidates proposed by the ruling Democratic Party on political grounds: Dodon is a pro-Russian politician, while the Democratic Party supports integration with Europe.

Last month, Hromadske reported that Moldova withdrew its ambassador to Russia, Andrei Neguta, for an indefinite period of time in connection with Russia’s “harassment” of its officials.