Vadim Misin: AEI's proposal is good, but PCRM's is better

The Communist lawmakers will participate in the works of the commission that is to propose a draft amendment of Art.78 on the election of the president, based on one of the two proposals approved by the Constitutional Court, Communist MP Vadim Misin told a news conference on Friday. The Communist deputy said the bill presented by the Alliance for European Integration, proposing direct popular vote to elect the president, was fairly good, but the one proposed by the Communist Party (PCRM) was better since it took into account all the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The PCRM suggests keeping the presidential election in Parliament, proposing a gradual reduction in the number of votes required to elect the head of state, from 61 to 57 to 52 votes out of 101. According to Vadim Misin, it was clear from the input of the Constitutional Court on the two bills that the PCRM's proposal was more appropriate in terms of constitutional unity. “If our proposal is taken as the core of the draft amendment, we are ready to discuss the recommendations made by the Constitutional Court”, said Vadim Misin, referring to the provisions concerning the dissolution of Parliament and the number of candidates for president. The Constitutional Court recently upheld its earlier legal opinion that one single candidate for president was not a violation of the constitutional norms. The PCRM proposed at least two candidates. Also, the Court recommended the PCRM to scarp the requirement for the dissolution of Parliament within two days if the president is not elected in the proposed three rounds. Constitutional Court Chair Dumitru Pulbere explained that the dissolution of parliament was not conditioned on the election of the president in any other European country, advising political parties to seek solutions so as to avoid frequent snap elections. Asked when the Communist faction was going to stop boycotting Parliament's meetings, Misin said the condition was the same: acting president Mihai Ghimpu must declare publicly that he would abide by the Constitution and dissolve Parliament. “We don't ask him to tell us an exact date. A month will do”, said Vadim Misin. The deputy went on to add that the recent visit of Alliance representatives to Strasbourg was useless. “They shouldn't have spent two or three thousand euro to listen again to what Gianni Buquicchio said earlier in Chisinau”. The bills proposed by PCRM and AEI may be submitted to Parliament for consideration no earlier than six months after the approval of the Constitutional Court. A faster way would be an amendment proposal submitted by a parliamentary commission.