Sixteen persons filed applications to take part in the contest to fill the post of judge of the Constitutional Court that was announced by the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM). Among the applicants is Socialist MP Vasile Bolea, who heads Parliament’s commission on appointments and immunities.

Current SCM member Ion Crețu, who teaches at the Faculty of Law of the State University of Moldova (USM), is also among the contenders. The other candidates are: Chisinau City Court president Radu Țurcanu, Chisinau City Court judge Gheorghe Balan, USM lecturer Alexandru Arseni, Public Services Agency coordinating specialist Oleg Potîrniche, lawyers Mihai Corj, Ion Păduraru, Angela Istrate and Procopie Zaharia and notary Victoria Iftodi.

Among the contestants are also the head of the Constitutional Court’s Research and Analysis Division Maria Strulea, lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the USM Teodor Cârnaț, lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the USM Andrei Negru, dean of the Faculty of Law of the Free International University of Moldova Lilia Mărgineanu, and Vasile Sturza, about whom no details were provided.

Contacted by IPN for details, Valeria Plămădeală, spokeswoman for the SCM, said the Council’s plenum is to decide the method of holding the contest to fill the post of judge of the Constitutional Court.

The next meeting of the SCM was set for March 30, 9am.

The Constitutional Court has six judges who are appointed for a six-year term. Two judges are named by Parliament, two by the Government and two by the Superior Council of Magistracy. The post of a CC judge named by the SCM fell vacant following the death of Eduard Ababei, who was appointed in July 2019.