The Center for Initiatives and Public Authorities Monitoring, which is a nongovernmental body, considers President Nicolae Timofti puts the political commitments above the law. In a news conference at IPN on March 11, the Center’s head Ion Dron said the head of state signed a decree to dismiss Vasile Marina from the post of rector of the Public Administration Academy with deviations from the law, in order to allow a political party to control this institution.
Ion Dron said that on January 17, 2014, the Public Administration Academy under the President was transferred under the Government’s management. Afterward, on January 24, the head of state issued the decree by which Vasile Marina was discharged. It’s inadmissible for the President to dismiss the rector of an institution that is no longer managed by him. When an institution is reorganized, the new manager administers all the work contracts. Consequently, from January 17, the decisions to dismiss or keep somebody in the post at the institution are taken by the Government.
Ion Dron also said that under the Labor Code, a person, before being dismissed, must be informed about the dismissal one month beforehand. Also, the person cannot be fired while he/she is on sick leave, as it happened in the case of Vasile Marina. The President’s interest was to put this institution in the arms of the Liberal Democratic Party before the elections. The institution, which trains mayors, holds interest owing to its administrative resources.
In the same news conference, Vasile Marina said he was appointed as rector in May 2010. The institution was then very politicized and in a deplorable condition. During several years, the institution had been renovated within a series of projects. The number of students was increased, while employees’ salaries were doubled. A year ago, he was operated and was absent from work for a long period. When he returned, he was informed that he was dismissed by presidential decree. He challenged this decree and it is now examined by the Appeals Court.
