Valeriu Strelet: It now depends on Constitutional Court

The Venice Commission decided that the Moldovan lawmakers illegally banned the symbols of the Communist Party – the hammer and sickle – last summer. Valeriu Strelet, the head of the Liberal-Democratic faction, which voted in favor of banning the symbols, said whether this law is maintained or abrogated depends on the Constitutional Court of Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. “For the time being, the verdict of the Venice Commission is consultative in character and the Constitutional Court is to adopt a decision. If it rules that the decisions adopted in July 2012 were unconstitutional, the political class should comply with the Constitutional Court’s decision,” the politician told Radio Free Europe in an interview. In July 2012, the legislative body adopted a law that condemns the Communist regime and bans the use of its symbols for political purposes. The Communists challenged this law to the Constitutional Court, which asked for the opinion of the Venice Commission before pronouncing on the issue. On March 11, the Communist Party staged a protest in front of the Constitutional Court, asking that the law banning the use of the hammer and sickle for political purposes be declared unconstitutional.