Communists say local councilors’ seats should be withdrawn by CEC

The Communist parliamentary group submitted a bill with amendments to the Law on the Local Status and the Election Code, which transfer the right to withdraw the seat of councilors from the local councils to the Central Election Commission (CEC). The bill was approved by the legal commission for appointments and immunities. Only Liberal MP Valeriu Munteanu and Liberal-Democratic lawmaker Tudor Deliu abstained, Info-Prim Neo reports “Currently, only the local councils have the right to invalidate the seats. But the local council often refuses to withdraw the seat and the person is in a situation of incompatibility. They cannot vote but the seat is not withdrawn for different reasons. Such a situation is experienced by the Chisinau Municipal Council,” said Communist MP Sergiu Sarbu, who drafted the bill. Valeriu Munteanu said the bill can be debated and adopted only after consulting the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova. Attending the commission’s meeting, CEC chairman Iurie Ciocan said he agrees transferring this right to the central electoral authority. “We received this bill for consideration and I think it is the case to transmit the right to withdraw the seat of member of the local councils of the first and second levels to the Central Election Commission. We validate the seats and we should invalidate them,” said Iurie Ciocan. Three Communist councilors on the Chisinau Council renounced their seats and are waiting for the Council’s decision to remove them.