Prosecutor general may be elected by public contest

The Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) may suggest electing the prosecutor general on the basis of a public contest. The announcement was made by the leader of the PLDM, Prime Minister Vlad Filat in the program “In Profunzime” on Pro TV channel, Info-Prim Neo reports. “As to the method by which the prosecutor general will be elected, surely at the suggestion of the Head of Parliament as the Constitution provides, I do not rule out that we will propose electing the prosecutor general by public contest,” said the Liberal-Democratic leader. Vlad Filat said that before naming the prosecutor general, a series of amendments should be made to the legislation so as to offer the prosecutors procedural independence. “The work model used now at the Prosecutor’s Office is of a Soviet type and it is serious when the whole activity of the Prosecutor’s Office depends directly on the prosecutor general. The prosecutor general can at any moment order starting or closing a criminal case and can transmit the case from a prosecutor to another without explanations,” he stated. As to the statements of the Democratic Party leaders, who said that they agree to depoliticizing the prosecution service, but in concert with the Ministry of the Interior, the Tax Inspectorate and the Customs Service, Vlad Filat said things shouldn’t be mixed up. “The Prosecutor’s Office is an independent and autonomous institution, while the others are governmental institutions. These are absolutely different things,” said Vlad Filat. The post of prosecutor general fell vacant after Valeriu Zubco tendered his resignation on January 18. Parliament approved his resignation three days later. Initially, the prosecutor suspended himself from post for the reason that he took part in the hunting that ended in the death of a man. But the Liberal-Democratic lawmakers and the Communist ones demanded he should be dismissed.