Communists reappear in Parliament to demand Ghimpu’s dismissal

The Communist faction reappeared in Parliament, after a seventeen-month boycott, to demand the dismissal of Liberal leader Mihai Ghimpu from the post of Parliament Speaker and consequently acting president of Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. Communist MP Iurie Muntean, called on the deputies, in particular the Democratic faction, to vote against Mihai Ghimpu. “We ask you respectfully to think about the voters. The Alliance wasn’t delegated in Parliament to elect Mihai Ghimpu as Speaker”, said Muntean. The Communist deputy went on to add that the Democratic Party’s biggest mistake as a left-of-center party was to support “extreme” right-wing parties within the governing alliance. Democrat leader Marian Lupu retorted from the Parliament’s rostrum that Mihai Ghimpu’s appointment was possible owing to the Communist faction, which opposed twice the election of a president. Mihai Godea, the leader of the Liberal Democratic faction, called on the deputies to return to the order of the day, in particular the amendment of the national budget, and avoid “falling into the Communists’ trap”. With 43 Communist votes and 3 other from United Moldova deputies, the proposal to oust Mihai Ghimpu didn’t muster enough votes to be included in the order of the day. The Communist faction walked out again for an indefinite period.