Activity of the Parliament on November 1–15, 2009

Appointments. Dismissals

The Parliament convened in a special sitting on November 10, 2009 to elect the President of the Republic of Moldova. Taking part in the sitting were the majority of parliamentarians inclusively those representing the PCRM, but the Communist faction has lately boycotted the election procedure. This way, the only registered candidate, Marian Lupu, got only 53 votes of the parliamentary majority members (AIE). Under legislation, repeat elections will be organized not later than 30 days after last ordinary elections, but the Parliament did not set yet the repeat elections.

Dorin Dragutanu, employee of the Audit Department of the Serbian PricewaterHouseCoopers Company, was nominated Governor of the National Bank of Moldova.

The Parliament has assigned the delegations to international parliamentarian forums which will be headed as follows:

Parliamentarian Liliana Palihovici (PLDM), delegation to the Interparliamentary Union;
Parliamentarian Igor Dodon (PCRM), delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization;
Parliamentarian Mihai Sleahtitchi (PLDM), delegation to the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly;
Parliamentarian Valentin Guznac (PCRM), delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie;
Parliamentarian Vasili Sova (PCRM), delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly;
Parliamentarian Veaceslav Untila (AMN), delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly;
Iurie Muntean (PCRM), delegation to the Assembly of the Central-European Initiative;
Oleg Reidman (PCRM), delegation to the Western European Union’s Assembly.

Members of parliamentary delegations to PACE and CIS were not confirmed yet.

Legislative acts

Law concerning the modification of the law on political parties. The regulations concerning the funding for political parties from the state budget, which stipulated the allocation of 0.2 percent of the state budget incomes to parliamentary parties and local public administration organs for this year, were suspended.

Note by ADEPT: The decision was motivated by the financial crisis faced by Moldova, while the parliamentary opposition, international organizations and experts in the area have earlier welcomed these regulations. According to general opinions, the budgetary funding to parties helps combating political corruption, enhance confidence of society, and improve the management of political parties, ensure their transparent activity.

Parliamentary control. Statements

Report by Chamber of Auditors

Chairperson of the Chamber of Auditors has presented the report concerning the management of public funds for the budgetary year 2008 in front of the Parliament, notifying lawmakers over some alarming issues such as:

Insufficient activity of tax administration bodies (state tax service);
Shortcomings in the VAT redemption process;
Operation of some shadow companies which seriously harmed the state budget (about 900 million lei);
Irregularities and dysfunctions related to organization and development of public procurement procedures;
Irregularities in patrimony management.

Many legislators were discontent with the quality of the report, saying that it has superficially tackled the situation in the area of management of public funds and state enterprises, did not evaluate the legality and fairness of privatization of some important state enterprises etc.

Appeal by a Special Commission

The special investigation commission to elucidate the causes and consequences of events which took place after April 5, 2009 has called upon all those who have veridical information about the developments concerned to provide it before November 27, 2009. The work of the commission will focus on collecting information, analyzing and issuing reports concerning the findings of the investigation, and will involve experts from nongovernmental and international organisations. Certain political leaders including Vladimir Filat, Vladimir Voronin, Mihai Ghimpu, Dorin Chirtoaca etc., could be heard within the investigation.

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