Parliament took cognizance of President-elect Igor Dodon’s note concerning the vacation of his seat of MP. In the same sitting, the MPs voted to withdraw the mandate of MP of ex-Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who was sentenced to nine years in jail for influence peddling and passive corruption. According to the lists of substitute candidates, the two vacancies could be filled by Loretta Handrabura, of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Irina Mizdrenco, of the Party of Socialists, IPN reports.

Vlad Filat was deprived of the seat of MP following an approach made by the prosecutor general, who informed Parliament about the results of the investigation and the decision to convict the former Prime Minister, which was upheld by the Appeals Court. Under the legislation, the seat of MP is lost if the person is convicted.

The head of the Liberal-Democratic parliamentary group Tudor Deliu said the judgment in the case of Vlad Filat is not irrevocable and the decision to withdraw his mandate of MP deprives him of the right to a fair trial.