[Article of the series “Year 2012: figures and facts”] [- January 24:] The head of Moldova’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Liliana Palihovici was elected vice president of the PACE by a unanimous vote. [-January 25:] Deputy mayor of Chisinau Mihai Furtuna renounced the post as he decided to serve as municipal councilor on behalf of the Liberal-Democratic Party. [-January 31:] The director of the National Children’s and Youth Center “Artico” Aurelia Hancu was dismissed by an order made by Minister of Education Mihail Shleahtitski because he abused her position. On February 3, Aurelia Hancu held a news conference, saying she was dismissed because somebody wants to obtain the valuable territories of the center. The former director asserted that in 2008 “Artico” won the right to use a plot of 4.8 hectares and serious pressure had been exerted on her afterward in order to dismiss her. [- February 7:] The executive director of the Foreign Policy Association Victor Chirila was named adviser to Prime Minister Vlad Filat on foreign policy matters. [- February 16:] Parliament approved by a majority of votes the candidacy of Mihai Poalelungi for the post of president of the Supreme Court of Justice for a four-year period. [- February 16:] Marin Adam was named director of “Apele Moldovei” Agency and was to take up his duties on February 24. [- February 28:] Councilor Teo Carnat announced his defection from the Liberal Party and from the Liberal faction of the Chisinau Municipal Council. He said he took the decision to leave the party and the faction because his qualities were not fully appreciated inside the party. [- March 6:] Parliament voted for the dismissal of Deputy Speaker Artur Reshetnikov, who was proposed by the Communist Party for this post, by a majority of votes. The proposal was submitted by the leader of the Liberal-Democratic group Valeriu Strelet. [- March 12:] The public TV channel “Moldova 1” started to look for a new director after this date. Angela Sarbu tendered her resignation to the Supervisory Board the second time. [- March 16:] [Nicolae Timofti was elected President of Moldova by the votes of 62 MPs of the 101]. As many as 62 lawmakers cast their ballots: 58 MPs of the ruling alliance, three MPs of the group of Socialists, and unaffiliated lawmaker Mihai Godea. All the ballots were validated. [- April 3:] The Supreme Council of Magistrates accepted the resignation of the president of the Economic Court of Appeals Aurel Colenco, who said he was glad to start a new stage in his life. He refused to tell the journalists the reason for his resignation. [- April 11:] The Government dismissed Deputy Minister of Economy Ilarion Popa for the reason that he did not appropriately coordinate the signing of contracts for the supply of electricity to Moldova for 2012. [- April 11:] Deputy Minister of Health Viorel Soltan was fired based on his resignation. He was replaced by Octavian Grama. [- April 11:] Moldova’s Ambassador to France Oleg Serebrian was named to simultaneously serve as Ambassador to Malta, based in Paris. [-April 11:] Moldova’s Consul to Turkey Sergiu Goncerenco was recalled in connection with the expiration of his tenure. Veaceslav Filip, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Division, will be named in his place. [-April 11:] Former deputy mayor of Chisinau Mihail Furtuna was named as presidential adviser on economic matters. [-April 11:] Former Minister of Justice Alexei Barbaneagra was appointed as presidential adviser on defense and national security and secretary of the Supreme Council of Magistrates. [-April 11:] Jennifer Brush became Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. Earlier, she had worked for 25 years at the U.S. Department of State, most recently as director of the Office for Central and Southern Europe based in Washington. [-April 19:] Radio Chisinau editor-in-chief Vlad Turcanu was named spokesman for the President of Moldova Nicolae Timofti and adviser on communication. [-April 25:] The Government approved a draft presidential decree to recall Moldova’s Ambassador to Russia Andrei Neguta. In this connection, Prime Minister Vlad Filat asked Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca to tell the ambassadors that their task is to represent Moldova abroad and to fully their duties consciously. [- May 2:] Orhei district commissioner Oleg Cociuc, the deputy commissioner and a policeman involved in a recent case of murder were dismissed by order of Minister of the Interior Alexei Roibu. [- May 2:] Vasile Isac was discharged from the post of director of the State Archive Service by a Government Decision. He retired 13 years ago, but continued to work. [- May 4:] Victor Corman, senior specialist at the Chisinau Architecture Division, was suspended from post by Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca on suspicion that he illegally built two annexes to the house and threatened his neighbors with jail if they complained. [- May 7:] Minister of the Interior Alexei Roibu named police colonel Ion Chicu as commissioner of Orhei district. Ion Chicu earlier worked as head of the Judicial Police Service. [- May 11:] Eugen Tomac, Secretary of State of the Department for the Romanians Everywhere of the Romanian Government, announced his leaving. In a news conference in Chisinau, he said that his party shifted to the opposition and he decided to follow it. [- June 7:] MPs Vadim Misin, Oleg Babenko, and Tatiana Botnariuc left the Communist parliamentary group. The announcement was made in a Parliament sitting. Vadim Misin said that they will serve as unaffiliated lawmakers. [- June 21:] The head of state named Valentin Tambaliuc as presidential adviser on law and international relations, the President’s representative in the relations with parliament and the Government. Valentin Tambaliuc, 57, worked in the prosecution service in 1983-2003 and prosecutor of Chisinau in 1999-2003. In 2006, he was named as pro-rector of the University of European Studies and taught the constitutional law. [- June 24:] Prime Minister Vlad Filat suggested President Nicolae Timofti to recall Minister of the Interior Alexei Roibu and Minister of Education Mihail Shleahtitski on the basis of their applications. He also proposed naming Maia Sandu as Minister of Education and Dorin Recean as Minister of the Interior. [- June 25:] The Government dismissed Iurie Cheptanaru from the post of Deputy Minister of the Interior. Cheptanaru will be replaced by Valeriu Ciobanu, who worked as division head at the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime. [- June 25:] The Ministry of Health elected Stefan Gatcan as director of the Mother and Child Center based in Chisinau. The post fell vacant last October after Ion Iliciuc was discharged in connection with a scandal over the preparation “Maturinol”. [- August 6:] The new head of the State Main Tax Inspectorate Nicolae Vicol took up his duties instead of Nicolae Platon. He was named to post by an order of the Minister of Finance. [- August 7:] Traffic Police chief Sergiu Armasu was dismissed by the new Minister of the Interior Dorin Recean, who said that the work of the Traffic Police service must be improved. Serghei Diaconu was appointed as the new Traffic Police chief. [-August 8:] The Government discharged Ilie Boian from the post of head of the State Hydrometallurgy Service, based in his application. [- August 8:] Mihail Magdei was dismissed from the post of Deputy Minister of Health, chief state sanitary doctor. Octavian Grama was named in his place. [- August 15:] The Government appointed historian Igor Grosu as Deputy Minister of Education. [- August 29:] The Government named Dorin Purice, who worked for over 10 years in the Customs Service, as head of the Border Police Department. [-September 3:] The head of the Traffic Police Section of the Chisinau General Police Commissariat Sergiu Ceban offered his resignation. He was substituted by Iurie Untilov, of the Traffic Police Division, by order of Minister of the Interior Dorin Recean. [- September 11:] Chisinau Liberal-Democratic councilor Victor Bodiu renounced the seat in order to continue work as the Government’s secretary general. [- September 25:] Judge Nichifor Corochii was elected as chairman of the Supreme Council of Magistrates. The post fell vacant after Nicolae Timofti became President of Moldova. [- September 28:] MP Ion Ceban left the Communist group and joined the Socialists. [- October 22:] Deputy Minister of the Interior Valeriu Cebanu tendered his resignation. He was named to post on July 25 instead of Iurie Cheptanaru. Until then, he worked as division head at the Center for Combating Corrupting and Economic Crime. [- October 25:] At the suggestion of President Nicolae Timofti, Parliament confirmed Mihai Balan as director of the Security and Information Service for a five-year period by 60 votes. No Communist MP voted for him. [- October 25:] Anatolie Donciu was named as chairman of the National Integrity Commission by a majority of votes of the MPs of the ruling alliance. [- October 25:] Viorel Chetraru was named director of the National Anticorruption Center for a five-year period by the votes of 53 MPs. [- November 2:] Cristina Cojocaru, who was appointed on the recommendation of civil society, resigned from the National Integrity Commission, arguing she was not sure that the commission was constituted legally. [- November 29:] Elena Hrenova, who entered the Chisinau Municipal Council as a substitute candidate on the lists of the Communist Party, left the faction and joined the group of Socialists after she heard offensive remarks agsissnt her from her faction colleagues. [Irina Turcanu, Info-Prim Neo]