President Igor Dodon has refused for a second time to formally accept the governing coalition’s ministerial candidates proposed in the recent Cabinet reshuffle. President Dodon wrote on his FB account that he was “not going to concede in this situation and accept such candidates”.

“My principal argument remains unchanged: most of the proposed candidates demonstrated inconsistency, lack of professionalism and a regrettable opportunism in past jobs and activities. This includes the fact that some of them were directly or indirectly involved in the bank fraud”, wrote the president. He argued that the nominees would not serve to depoliticize the Cabinet, as declared by the initiators, because it involves a “reactivation of some former political actors” who were proposed “in order to please the parliamentary algorithm”.

The Constitution says that the president can reject a ministerial candidate once, but not for a second time if the same candidate is proposed. In a similar situation, when President Dodon double-rejected Eugeniu Sturza’s nomination as minister of defense, the Constitutional Court allowed Speaker Andrian Candu to temporarily act in President Dodon’s stead.

Last week Speaker Candu said the Constitutional Court would be requested again to advise on the proper course of action if President Dodon went through with his threat to oppose the nominations.

The Cabinet shakeup, announced early last week by Democratic Party leader Vlad Plahotniuc, aims to replace five ministers and introduce a new post of Deputy Prime Minister for Eurointegration Matters. The president said he only agreed to the part where he signs off on the resignations, which he eventually did later last week.