Moldova’s tenth Parliament is assembling today at 1:00 p.m. for its inaugural meeting. It will start with Constitutional Court president Mihai Poalelungi presenting a formal report on the results of elections and then President Igor Dodon will address the freshly invested MPs.
By tradition, the sitting will be presided over by the oldest Member of Parliament. Like in the previous legislature, this will be Socialist Eduard Smirnov, who is turning 80 this year.
The inaugural meeting is usually an occasion to elect the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers, and to appoint the Standing Bureau.
Within 10 days from the inaugural meeting, parliamentary groups are formed and their internal statutes adopted.
President Igor Dodon formally convened Parliament just yesterday, amid uncertainty over government formation as the February 24 vote has been split more or less evenly among the Socialists (35 seats), Democrats (30) and the electoral bloc NOW (26).
