The Chisinau Court based in Buiucani district rejected the Party of Socialists’ request to register the initiative group that would collect signatures for holding a local referendum on the dismissal of Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca. The information was confirmed for IPN by Dorin Chirtoaca’s lawyer Tatiana Iovu.

The decision was taken on April 3. According to Tatiana Iovu, the court dismissed the request as groundless. “The argumentation of the decision hasn’t been yet provided. We have only the ordinance,” stated the lawyer. The decision of the ordinary court can be challenged in the Appeals Court within 30 days.

Earlier, an initiative group consisting of civil society activists initiated by court the procedure for organizing a referendum to dismiss the mayor of Chisinau. The group went to a number of courts, but their request was ultimately rejected.