Memorial plaque for the first president of Constitutional Court

A memorial plaque dedicated to the first president of the Constitutional Court of Moldova, Pavel Barbalat, was unveiled on Thursday 19 October, in Chisinau. According to a press release of the Presidency, in the speech delivered on this occasion at the event, Vladimir Voronin remarked the considerable contribution of Pavel Barbalat to the foundation of the Constitutional Court (CC) and its affirmation as the only authority of constitutional jurisdiction in the state. Head of state mentioned that at present the activity of this institution also bases on the values and the principles promoted by the first leader of the Court. The Government allotted from the reserve Fund about 40 thousand lei for the installation of a plaque in the memory of the jurist and professor Pavel Barbalat. Pavel Barbalat (1935-2001) held the position of president of the CC in the period of 1995-2001. He was the first leader of this institution, as well as the first president of the Lawyers’ Union of Moldova. Pavel Barbalat has run for the President of Moldova in the elections of 1 December 2000. He was proposed to this position by the center-right wing parliamentary groups from the Chisinau Parliament and a part of the independent MPs. The elections were declared invalid. On 5 December, none of the candidates won 61 votes, so the elections were to be repeated. The elections of 21 December were not deliberative, and on 31 December, President Petru Lucinschi issued a decree regarding the dissolution of the Parliament and organization of the parliamentary elections intended for 25 February 2001, for the reason of incapacity of electing the head of state according to the constitutional procedure and deadlines. In May, Pavel Barbalat would have turned 70.