Constitutional Court president: Parliament must be dissolved, regardless of referendum result

Acting President Mihai Ghimpu must dissolve the Parliament, no matter what the result of the constitutional referendum is, said the president of the Constitutional Court Dumitru Pulbere. “The President should consult the Court when to start the Parliament dissolution procedure. Even if the method of electing the head of state is modified by referendum, the Court's decision will be based on the norms existing when the dissolution problem arouse. The problem appeared on June 16, when the Parliament was to be dissolved in accordance with Article 78 of the Constitution,” Dumitru Pulbere told a news conference on July 19. Asked if the leader of the Communists Party Vladimir Voronin can run in the presidential elections again, Dumitru Pulbere said the Constitutional Court will pronounce on the issue if it is asked to, but, under the law, the post of Acting President is not identical to that of President.