The MPs will try again today to put to the vote the law on the prosecution service. Yesterday, after debates that lasted for several hours, the lawmakers could not reach an agreement and decided to postpone the vote given the complexity of the bill, IPN reports.
MPs criticized mainly the provisions concerning the appointment of the prosecutor general. Under the bill, the prosecutor general will be named to post for one seven-year term. The candidate will be selected at a contest staged by the Supreme Council of Prosecutors. The person that will get the highest score will be proposed to the head of state for confirmation. The President will be able to reject the candidate fielded by the Supreme Council of Prosecutors only once. Though the law will take effect on January 1, 2016, these provisions will start to be applied when the Constitution is amended. This fact caused controversy.
Socialist MP Vasile Golea said the bill was discussed within the competent commission and was harshly criticized. The Socialist faction will not vote for it in its current form. The provisions concerning the appointment of the prosecutor general and the length of his term in office run counter to the Constitution. The bill envisions the elimination of particular powers of the prosecutor’s office concerning civil cases and the people’s rights and freedoms are thus violated. The prosecutor general should be elected by the people so as to ensure the independence of the prosecution service.
Liberal lawmaker Valeriu Munteanu said the bill is a very important one, but was proposed for examination towards the end of the sitting, and in the middle of the election campaign. “It is evident for everyone that the central element of this law – the procedure for naming the prosecutor general – will not be put into practice until the Constitution is modified. This is what we should focus our attention on, not on the robe or uniform of the prosecutors. Without significant changes to the system, this bill risks remaining another nicely packed law without content and reformation effect,” he said, noting that the Liberal faction demands returning to this bill after the local elections.
Liberal-Democratic MP Tudor Deliu said those who level criticism do not really want the prosecution service to be reformed. Most of the lawmakers invoked the necessity of amending the Constitution and a relevant bill is being drafted, but it needs support to be passed. The draft law should be voted in the first reading and the proposed amendments will be introduced for the second reading.
The vote on the bill was yet postponed. Parliament continues its sitting today, May 29, starting at 2pm.
