People protesting in the Great National Assembly Square, together with members of the Civic Platform “Dignity and Truth”, on October 23 picketed the State Residence, asking that the head of state should accept the Premier’s requisition to dismiss the National Anticorruption Center (NAC) director Viorel Chetraru. Dozens of police officers formed a cordon at the scene, preventing the protesters from entering the State Residence, IPN reports.
Platform member Vasile Nastase said that this is not the Premier’s request, but the people’s request because this demand was put forward in the April protests first. The head of state has two options: either to dismiss the director of the National Anticorruption Center or to promulgate the law that was passed by Parliament on October 22. This law provides for the transfer of the Center from the Government’s management under Parliament administration. “You are now at a crossroads – you will either accept a people’s demand or will sign an illegal decision adopted at the suggestion of Dodon, Voronin and Plahotniuc. It is now the moment of truth,” stated Nastase.
One of the President’s advisers Valentin Timbaliuc came out and told the protesters that the head of state is not inside the State Residence. The Premier’s requisition is being examined, but the President wants to also study the law passed by Parliament. “When this law reaches us, the President will examine it and also the Premier’s request and will take a decision,” he stated.
A week ago, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet requested the head of state to dismiss the NAC director Viorel Chetraru. Among the invoked arguments are the increasing corruption perception index and the suspicion that the NAC adopted a discretional and selective approach to the fight against corruption, which affected this institution’s output.
On the other hand, the MPs on October 22 adopted a law by which the National Anticorruption Center is passed under Parliament administration. Now the NAC director can be dismissed by the head of date, but if this law is promulgated, this will be within the competence of Parliament.
