President Maia Sandu said the presidential administration, together with the parliamentary majority, already identified a candidate who is to be named as director of the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS). This is a candidate from outside the system who will ensure the reformation of the SIS. The government wants to strengthen the capacities of the institution so that the SIS becomes more credible, IPN reports.
President Sandu said the former SIS head Alexandr Esaulenco did good things, but time has come for a broad reform at the institution. The SIS will not stay long without a manager as a candidate was already identified.
“We discussed with Alexandr Esaulenco. He had held this post for three years and good things happened in the period. The SIS protected the national interests and the director contributed to this. We yet consider that new people needs to come to the system. We went through difficult times when the state institutions were used of their own free will or not. My opinion that is supported by the parliamentary majority is that a person from outside should come. We need to continue the reforms,” Maia Sandu stated in the program “In Depth” on ProTV Chisinau channel.
Maia Sandu avoided giving the name of the candidate. She only noted that this is a person who didn’t work at the institution, but knows the security sector as this cooperated with the SIS. The person will be made known soon.
The official stated that the SIS reform implies a reduction of the inspection areas and strengthening of the personnel capacities.
“There were attempts by politicians to use the institution to their advantage and to the detriment of the state, but the institution mostly includes personnel devoted to the Republic of Moldova. The institution needs reforms to improve the capacity of the personnel. All the foreign experts who consult us on the issue say that the SIS now has a lot of duties and should be in charge of a narrower area so as to be better in the security sector and does not deal with the inspection of all the state institutions. We need to exchange information with serious states, but this happens when there is credibility. We are now building the credibility of the SIS so as to benefit from this exchange of information,” said President Sandu.
On Monday, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu received the resignation from the post of SIS chief tendered by Alexandr Esaulenco. The latter argued he decided to take up a new post. The resignation is to be examined by Parliament.
