President Maia Sandu said that an unprecedented attack on constitutional order and on the independence of the Constitutional Court was witnessed today. In the meeting of the Supreme Security Council, President Sandu asked the managers of the law enforcement agencies not to allow to be involved in anti-constitutional actions and not to fulfill illegal orders. She also requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the actions from the angle of usurpation of state power and the acts of the participants in this attack against law and order, IPN reports.
In a press briefing in the evening of April 23, Maia Sandu said the anti-constitutional actions witnessed in Parliament are very serious. The legislative body does not have the right to remove CC judges from office. The attempt to name a replacement is also unconstitutional.
She asked the Security and Intelligence Service to follow the attempts to undermine constitutional order and to take steps to prevent the destabilization of the situation in the country. “We ask Parliament to stop the democratic backsliding. Those who commit such illegalities are liable to punishment. We call on the international community to follow the situation in our country and to offer all the support for defending democracy from attempts to subvert the state institutions,” said Maia Sandu.
She also made a call to the Party of Socialists, saying the strategy to throw the country into a chaos after the presidential elections should be stopped. According to her, the decision to remove a CC judge is illegal and null, while the attempt to name another judge instead undermines the constitutional order in the country. “The Socialist MPs and the MPs of the Shor Party switched over from the political farce and irresponsibility to anti-constitutional actions. These actions, each of them, should be investigated nominally. We will not allow gangs of criminals to undermine the democratic process and create chaos. Sovereignty belongs to the people and the citizens are the only ones who can solve the political crisis by democratic elections,” noted President Sandu.
On April 23, Parliament annulled the decree to appoint Domnica Manole as a Constitutional Court judge and adopted a statement on the capture of the Constitutional Court. Also, Boris Lupașcu was named CC judge by the votes of 56 MPs. The PAS and PPPDA MPs didn’t take part in the vote, leaving the sitting in protest at the agenda.
PAS MP Sergiu Litvinenco submitted an application of unconstitutionality concerning Parliament decision concerning the adoption of the statement on the capture of the Constitutional Court and Parliament decision on the dismissal of Domnica Manole from the post of Constitutional Court judge. He said these decisions are “evidently illegal and unconstitutional”. A protest against the vote in Parliament was mounted in front of the CC.
