Mihai Ghimpu: We will hold referendum and then dissolve Parliament

The Parliament will be dissolved after the referendum, Acting President and Head of Parliament Mihai Ghimpu said on June 16, when it is one year of the last dissolution of the legislative body, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The constitutional wheel starts turning round today. From today, I can dissolve the Parliament as, in accordance with article 78 of the Constitution, if the head of state is not elected, the legislative body is dissolved and early elections are announced,” Mihai Ghimpu said. “I'm not obliged to dissolve the Parliament today or tomorrow. I will issue a decree to dissolve it after the referendum as the decree must contain the date of the early legislative elections.” Mihai Ghimpu stressed that until the referendum, the Parliament will be functional and nobody can accuse the Alliance for European Integration of not respecting the Constitution. He also said that the decision on holding a referendum was drafted. It is to be signed by all the members of the governing Alliance and will be then submitted to the Constitutional Court. Under the law, the Court must examine and approve the decision within ten days. Afterward, the Parliament will adopt it. Asked about the dialogue to reach a compromise with the Communist Opposition, Mihai Ghimpu said the Alliance's proposal is the bird in the hand, while the PCRM's proposal is the bird in the bush. “The gates are open for a compromise, but the Communists will have to support our proposal or cooperate with us in making it better,” he said. On June 3, the Alliance for European Integration made public its solution to the constitutional crisis in the presence of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland. The Alliance proposed holding a consultative referendum on the method of electing the head of state in September and legislative and presidential elections in November.