The High Council of Prosecutors (CSP) today announced it was starting a contest to appoint a Prosecutor General. The application deadline is September 10.
At the hearing, the Minister of Justice, Olesea Stamate, suggested to postpone the contest for September, because the Law on the prosecutor’s office is being amended.
Adrian Bordianu, a member of the CSP and a detached prosecutor, acknowledged the legislative initiative, but pointed out that “the position is vacant since July 12”. According to him, the current law must be applied. “The application period, provided by the current law, is at least 30 calendar days. 30 calendar days for document submission, I think it will be enough for the policy makers to see if they amend the law or not”, noted Adrian Bordianu.
On the other hand, the minister of justice considers that it is more reasonable to postpone the contest than to cancel it if the law is amended.
CSP President Angela Motuzoc said that there is no justification to prevent the contest from taking place now. “We cannot hide behind some hypothetical reasons. We don’t know what the legislature will do and what will it decide. We cannot anticipate this”, noted Angela Motuzoc. According to her, the CSP is an independent institution, which cannot depend on political will.
Dumitru Pulbere, CSP member appointed by the president, reminded that the Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the state. According to him, while it is unknown what the Parliament will vote, it is not necessary to rush the contest organization, because the legislative could amend this process. “Why do we have to hurry? What’s the hurry?” asked Dumitru Pulbere.
Eventually, the CSP decided to announce the start of the employment contest for the position of prosecutor general.
According to the current legal provisions, in order to be eligible for the position of prosecutor general, candidates must have at least ten years of professional experience in the field of law, of which at least five years in the position of prosecutor. Additionally, potential candidates who have been part of a political party or that carried out political activities 3 years prior, are barred from participating in the contest . Another condition is that during the last six months, the candidate mustn’t have been a member of the High Council of Prosecutors.
Former Prosecutor General, Eduard Harunjen, was released from office via presidential decree, on July 11, based on the Parliament’s request. Two days earlier, the Parliament found that appointment conditions had not been met. On July 30, the Parliament suggested the candidacy of Dumitru Robu as interim prosecutor general, and he was subsequently appointed to the post by President Igor Dodon.
