PCRM challenges amendments to legislation in Constitutional Court

The Communist Party Thursday filed a challenge to the Constitutional Court, asking that it verifies the constitutionality of a number of provisions of the 2011 state budget law and certain amendments to the legislation on the budgetary system and process. “The legislative body unconstitutionally gave the Ministry of Finance powers that are not within its competence. Only Parliament can make amendments to the legislation on the budgetary system and process,” jurist Sergiu Sarbu, who is a Communist lawmaker, stated for Info-Prim Neo. According to the MP, Articles 130 and 131 of the Constitution of Moldova say any change to the budget can be introduced by the legislature by amending the state budget law. At the end of March, Parliament introduced amendments to the law on the budgetary system and process and empowered the Government and the Ministry of Finance to make changes to the state budget without its subsequent approval, for example as regards the collection of foreign resources, grants, sponsorships and special means. The Ministry of Finance was also authorized to modify the internal parameters of the budget. Dumitru Tara, head of the Constitutional Court’s press office, said the Court has four months at its disposal to pronounce on the challenge.