The legality of the election of Eduard Harunhen as prosecutor general will be examined by the Supreme Court of Justice. President Igor Dodon’s legal adviser Maxim Lebedinski has told IPN that the Head of State filed a challenge to the Court, whereby he disputes the results of the contest where the Superior Council of Prosecutors chose Eduard Harunjen as a candidate for prosecutor general.

According to the adviser, the application will be examined by a panel of nine judges of the Supreme Court of Justice with the involvement of the parties. “If the Courts accepts the President’s demand, the Head of State will be able to abrogate the decree on the appointment of the prosecutor general and the documents based on which this was named will be declared null and void,” stated Maxim Lebedinski.

He also said that Eduard Harunjen had served as a member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors during March - July 2016 and thus didn’t have the right to apply for this post.

MP Anatolie Zagorodnyi, who is a member of the Parliament’s legal commission for appointments and immunities, stated for IPN that the challenge lodged by President Igor Dodon can be described as a populist action aimed at showing the voters that he fulfills his electoral promises. Ex-President Nicolae Timofti accepted the results of the contest, in accordance with the Law on the Prosecution Service. Moreover, the period during which the contest result could be challenged expired.

On January 23, President Igor Dodon initiated the procedure for disputing the results of the contest whereby Eduard Harunjen was chosen as a candidate for prosecutor general for the reason that the Superior Council of Prosecutors violated the procedure and deadlines. Igor Dodon invoked the fact that Eduard Harunjen couldn’t have applied for the post because the Law on the Prosecution Service bans persons who have served on the Superior Council of Prosecutors during the last six months from doing this.