Representatives of civil society made an appeal to Parliament, asking immediately initiating a public contest to select titular professors of law as members of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM). They requested working our regulations concerning the appointment of the three CSM members by Parliament and creating a special parliamentary commission for organizing the contest.

In a news conference at IPN, Nadejda Hriptievschi, program director at the Legal Resources Center of Moldova, said that the term in office of the titular professors of law of the CSM, who were named by Parliament, expires on November 27. On September 3, more than 20 NGOs sent a letter to Parliament, asking staging a public contest to select candidates for members of the CSM, but they received no answer.

Nadejda Hriptievschi said that no reaction came from Parliament and thus they made another appeal, but also in vain. As there is not much time left until the new members of the CSM are to be named, civil society demands immediately holding a public contest.

Law program director at Soros Foundation Moldova Victor Munteanu said the members of civil society suspect that the parliamentary groups do not play fair and dubious things happen behind the scenes. Nobody knows how a simple university lecturer becomes a member of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, which is the main ring of the judicial system of Moldova.

Law consultant of the Legal Resources Center Ion Guzun underlined that Parliament must ensure transparency in setting the procedures and deadlines for participating in the contest and must publish the names of the candidates and hold public consultations to examine the candidates. Also, the candidates must be interviewed in transparent conditions and the special commission that nominates the selected candidates should justify its decision.