Activity of the Government on February 1–16, 2003

On February 12, Minister of Justice Ion Morei was ousted. This is already the 10th resignation in the Government headed by Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev since April 2001. This time Minister of Justice was ousted after President Vladimir Voronin publicly criticized his activity and blamed him of incompetence. The grounds for such severe criticism were the amendments operated by the Parliament to the Law on Political Parties and Other Socio-Political Organizations, which triggered protest rallies of the political parties. The same day Vasile Dolghieru was appointed to the position via a presidential decree.

In the said period the Government endorsed several draft laws, namely: draft law on fighting extremism; draft law on modification and completion of the Law on Administrative-Territorial Division (providing the establishment of 33 rayons instead of the current 12 counties); draft law on local public administration; three draft laws on the modification and completion of the Law on Audiovisual; draft law on modifying the Constitution (granting Gagauz-Yeri the status of autonomous administrative-territorial unit); draft law on the modification of the Law on Public Service, draft law on national defense, etc.

On February 19 the Government decided to entrust Ministry of Economy and local government to coordinate overseeing and control activity, in order to better control how entities observe the legal framework, and to create a single control system operating within an integrated information system. Also Ministry of Economy and Information Technology Department shall jointly develop the principles of functioning of the integrated system and control procedures.

In addition the Government approved the Regulation on the responsibilities of the Ministry of the Reintegration. It shall have the following competencies: enforce Government policies in the field; develop the national concept of reintegration; and devise a work plan in this respect. The Minister is entitled to legal initiatives on establishing a single legal, social-economic and cultural space of the Republic of Moldova; to negotiate with Transdnistrian authorities; and to monitor the activities aimed towards the country reintegration. Also under the Regulation two new positions of Deputy Ministers are to be established. State Chancellery together with the Ministry of Finance are to devise the budget and propose appropriate amendments to the Law on State Budget for 2003. On February 14, the Government abrogated its Decision on the establishment of an Inter-department Commission to coordinate state policies in the localities to the left of Nistru River. Noteworthy, during a meeting with European Commission delegation, Minister of Economy, Stefan Odagiu, asked for the assistance in reintegrating the country within the framework of TACIS Assistance Program.

Amendments operated to the Government Resolution no. 120 of February 12, 2001, oblige Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop the priorities of the country foreign policy and present them yearly to the President, as well as to brief quarterly the Government on the enforcement of the treaties and other international acts.

Foreign relations

On February 12, the Free Trade Agreement was initialed between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and Ministerial Council of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Bilateral negotiations between the countries focussed mainly on the legal framework regulating the trade of industrial and agricultural products and customs cooperation. The Agreement was developed as part of the Memorandum of Understanding on Trade Liberalization and Facilitation in the South-Easter Europe. Under the Memorandum, by the end of 2002 a free trade zone was to be established between the countries members of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe comprising around 55 million consumers. So far Republic of Moldova signed Free Trade Agreements with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania. The Free Trade Agreements may allow for the liberalization of 90% of the trade, adjustments of tariffs, and considerable discounts for a transition period of up to six years. The Agreements are to be adjusted to the norms of the World Trade Organization.

On the other hand the Agreements provide some barriers, which would be preserved by certain countries members of the free trade zone. Another drawback of the Agreement is its protectionist and discriminating nature in relations to third countries. Consequently, it would be necessary to simultaneously impose the same rules for all the countries in the region and liberalize uniformly the goods.

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Activity of the Government on February 1–16, 2003

Foreign relations

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