Democratic MP Adrian Candu said the bill on the institution of the post of interim Speaker is not valid and will remain in the air. According to him, it is illegal because it was passed in an illegal sitting and nobody will promulgate it. On the other hand, the Liberal-Democratic Deputy Speaker Liliana Palihovici said the meeting is perfectly legal and the bill can be signed by the Deputy Head of Parliament, IPN reports.
Adrian Candu told the press that the Democratic MPs attended the April 26 sitting as witnesses and didn’t take part in the voting. The sitting is illegal because the Deputy Speaker cannot chair it as the relevant powers weren’t transferred to her by the Head of Parliament.
Liliana Palihovici specified that the April 25 sitting of Parliament wasn’t closed. At the suggestion of an MP, they took a break until the next day.
The head of the Liberal-Democratic faction Valeriu Strelet said that under Article 103 of the Parliament’s Regulations, the sitting is opened by the Speaker, First Deputy Speaker or one of the Deputy Speakers, so that the sitting is legal. As to the bill on the post of interim Speaker, he voiced hope that it will be promulgated in the near future.
In the April 25 sitting, Parliament dismissed Marian Lupu from the post of Speaker by 76 votes in favor. The next day, the Parliament’s Regulations were amended by the votes of the Liberal-Democratic and Communist MPs. Under the bill with amendments adopted in the sitting, in such situations as dismissal, incompatibility or impossibility of the Speaker to fulfill his duties, the post of Head of Parliament is held by one of the Deputy Speakers on an interim basis under Parliament decision.
