Central authorities propose new law on Chisinau municipality’s status

The Mayor General of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca, earlier this week asked the municipal functionaries to examine a bill on the status of the municipality of Chisinau worked out by the Ministry of Local Public Administration and give their opinions. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, the head of Centru district Vladimir Sarban said that such a bill has been expected for two years as the present law was adopted in 1995. He said that the status of Chisinau municipality must be harmonised with the present legislation, especially the new law on local public administration. Asked to comment on the new draft law, a number of councillors and leaders of parliamentary groups said they are not at all exited about it, invoking that it was worked out by the Communist authorities. The local councillors consider that the ruling party is not interested in formulating a law that would benefit Chisinau as long as the city is administered by opponents of the Communist policy. They said that the bill is designed to obstruct the activity of the democratic forces that administer the municipality. Such an opinion was expressed by the leader of the Liberal-Democratic faction Alexandru Tanase and by the chairman of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) Mihai Gihmpu. According to Ghimpu, only if the Communists lose the parliamentary elections in 2009, the legislation of the municipality will be changed and the local authorities will be able to work effectively and in the people’s interests. A number of councillors did not hurry to read the bill, arguing that even if the local authorities express their viewpoints on it, the Government will adopt the law as it will consider. The bill specifies the relations between the municipal authorities, the structure and functions of the City Council, how the Council should be organized and should work, how it should adopt decisions, etc. The draft law also says that CMC can be dissolved before term if it deliberately adopts similar decisions on a given subject after the administrative court cancels them by definitive judgments for the reason that they seriously infringe the stipulations of the Constitution or of the legislation. It can also be dissolved if the councillors remain fewer than a half, adopt no decision during six months regardless of the number of meetings. The bill also stipulates that the CMC chairman can be discharged at the request of the faction that proposed him/her or of one third of the councillors. The dismissal decision can be adopted by the vote of two thirds of the councillors. The bill defines the status and obligations of the mayor, deputy mayors, the activity of the district head’s offices, the municipal heritage and public finances. The article regarding the financial resources and formation of the municipal budget stipulates only that the municipality’s resources are accumulated and administered in compliance with the law.