The Șor parliamentary group proposed amending the Constitution so that the prosecutor general is elected by the people. Statements to this effect were made at a press conference by MP Denis Ulanov.
Șor MPs proposed to create a work group in order to draft a bill for amending the Constitution. The group would finish the bill and present it to Parliament within 60 days. The group is to be composed of experts, constitutional law specialists and proportionally delegated members of parliamentary groups.
According to Denis Ulanov, previous justice system reforms have failed. The Prosecutor's Office and other legal institutions remain "instruments for settling scores" between parties. The office of the Prosecutor General is under the influence of political processes. The MM stressed out that it is important for the prosecutor general to hold a public mandate. The independence of the Prosecutor's Office is fundamental to a fair judicial process.
The MP said that the practice of electing a public prosecutor is widespread in several countries. As long as the Constitution states that the people are the bearers of sovereignty, they have the right to participate in strengthening the independence of the Prosecutor's Office.
The revision of the Constitution can be initiated by at least 33 MPs. Denis Ulanov urged other MPs to endorse the proposed bill.
As of 2019, the prosecutor general is elected via competition by the High Council of Prosecutors and is appointed by the head of state.
