The presence of the portrait of President Vladimir Voronin in the offices of civil servants provoked heated debates among the MPs on February 15, with the Opposition and the majority group exchanging accusations, Info-Prim Neo reports. The discussions started while examining the bill on the Civil Servant’s Code of Conduct. Several Opposition MPs criticised the fact that the civil servants are compelled to hang the portrait of the head of state in their offices. Some of them said that such portraits are posted in judges’ offices and this implies that the judicial system is not independent. The members of the majority faction said that the picture of the President should be present in civil servants’ offices. Ala Ursul said that Vladimir Voronin is famous and esteemed in Moldova and abroad. She also said that she will propose that the President’s picture be hang only in the offices of the officials that deserve this. ‘The portrait of the chief of state is placed near icons in many houses in our villages. The members of the Moldova Noastra Alliance that came to power in districts and took the portrait out are not more respected. On the contrary,” Ala Ursul said. In this connection, MP Dumitru Diacov said that he submitted a bill to amend the Constitution in an effort to depoliticize the post of President as Vladimir Voronin committed himself to. “The next President must be depoliticized and then all will be glad to see the portrait of the Moldovan head of state in civil servants’ offices. The problem is that the President is now also a party leader and not all the people like this,” Diacov said. On November 13, 2001, the State Chancellor’s Office issued an internal ordinance obliging all the central institutions and organisations to hang the picture of President Vladimir Voronin in the A-2 or A-3 format in the offices.