The commission for selecting candidates for the post of governor of the National Bank of Moldova held its first meeting of October 6. Its administration will be chosen on October 7, while a contest and the conditions for the candidates will be announced afterward, IPN reports.
The first meeting was attended by Speaker Andrian Candu, who proposed instituting such a commission. He asked the members to select a candidate or candidates for governor during about a month so that he could later present these in Parliament.
The legislation does not stipulate the conditions for choosing a candidate for governor. It only says that the candidate is fielded by the Head of Parliament and is confirmed in the post by at least 51 votes of MP. Andrian Candu said he suggested creating such a commission so as to avoid politicizing the process of naming the governor.
The commission consists of nine members, four of whom are MPs who represent the factions of the PSRM, PLDM, PDM and PL, while the other five are representatives of civil society, the academic community and the Banks Association.
Andrian Candu proposed that the IMF, the World Bank and the EU Delegation to Moldova should delegate observers to work on this commission, but these institutions refused, arguing they do not have such power. However, a representative of the EU Delegation will take part in some of the meetings.
“I hope this is not a formal initiative only and we will all become involved in the selection of a suitable candidate,” said the executive director of the think tank “Expert Grup” Andrian Lupusor, who is a member of the commission.
Sergiu Gaibu, economic expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”, said the fact that the national legislation does not specify the selection procedure will allow them to apply the best international practices.
“The problems in the banking sector are not simple and the election of the candidate should be a swift process. We must make sure that all those who want are able to take part in the contest,” said the head of the parliamentary commission on economy, budget and finance Stefan Creanga, who also forms part of the commission for selecting the governor.
On September 21, Dorin Dragutanu resigned from the post of National Bank governor, invoking political pressure exerted on him. Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet said the governor’s resignation hampered the signing of a memorandum with the IMF, whose mission worked in Chisinau until October 6. The appointment of a new governor is one of the conditions imposed by the IMF for continuing the discussions. The governor is named for a seven-year term. Dorin Dragutanu’s tenure would have expired next autumn.
