Constitutional Court suspends examination of Vlad Filat's challenge

The Constitutional Court suspended examining the constitutionality of Article 13 of the Election Code on Vlad Filat's request, arguing a Government Decision is needed as the Premier cannot submit such a challenge in his name, Info-Prim Neo reports. Article 13 obliges the members of the Cabinet and public servants to quit their posts for the period of the election campaign if they are registered as election contenders. The Court will resume the examination immediately after a relevant Government Decision is made. Deputy Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim described the Court's decision as 'strange', saying all the challenges that had come from the Government since 1995 were signed only by the Premier and were not Government Decisions. “The Prime Minister heads the Government and represents it in all the public relations. The fact that this is not clearly stipulated in the legislation does not mean that he cannot lodge a challenge. A minister who is inferior to the Premier is allowed to do it,” Oleg Efrim said. Vlad Filat challenged the constitutionality of Article 13 of the Election Code, saying it is against Article 103 of the Constitution to force the ministers to resign for the period of the campaign as this article provides the Government's mandate ends when a new Cabinet is constituted.