On January 23, a new administrator of Rascani district of Chisinau was named by order of Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca. This is Nicolae Balaur, who said that he will continue the good practices of the former administration and will make effort to improve them so as to reach out to each citizen. Nicolae Balaur stated that he was a member of the Liberal Party, but submitted an application to withdraw from the party given the incompatibility of the post with party membership. The same day, Tudor Calugareanu was appointed head of Botanica district. He earlier worked as deputy head of this district and acting head of Rascani district.

Also on January 23, President Igor Dodon said he initiated the procedure for disputing the results of the contest whereby Eduard Harunjen was chosen as a candidate for prosecutor general for the reason that the Superior Council of Prosecutors violated the procedure and deadlines. Igor Dodon invoked the fact that Eduard Harunjen couldn’t have applied for the post because the Law on the Prosecution Service bans persons who have served on the Superior Council of Prosecutors during the last six months from doing this.

On January 24, President Igor Dodon had a meeting with journalists, where he reiterated his position and the position of the party he led that the signing of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement was premature. He noted that the accord cannot be yet annulled by the Head of State, but this issue will be discussed again after the next legislative elections. He also announced that he will initiate the procedure for amending the Constitution so as to broaden the powers of the Head of State and this can dissolve Parliament. In the same meeting, Igor Dodon said he does not agree with the Romanian President’s previous statements that the President of Moldova should abide by the limits of the Constitution and described them as interference in the political affairs of Moldova. In this connection, he noted that until now the behavioral suggestions made to the President were accepted, but he will not tolerate such a practice, specifying he does not interfere in Romania’s internal affairs and Klaus Iohannis should do the same.

The same day, the Constitutional Court ruled that the President of Moldova can reject a candidate for minister proposed by the Prime Minister only once, by providing explanations. Under the Court’s decision on the requisition submitted by Liberal MPs, the Premier can suggest another candidate for minister or can propose again the first. The Court said the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova does not stipulate a concrete time limit for naming the Cabinet. However, so as not to affect governance, the Cabinet or a minister should be named within 14 days. President Igor Dodon reacted to the Constitutional Court’s decision, saying the government and the Court are completely mistaken if they think that they can force the President to take particular unpopular and antisocial decisions. He said he would accept a referendum where his actions and the actions of the government will be judged by the people rather than to bow to the pressure of the current parliamentary alliance and its acolytes.

In a meeting with the Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola on January 24, Igor Dodon announced that he will pay an official visit to Brussels on February 6-7, 2016 and stated that he asked for a meeting with the NATO administration. About the program of his visit to Brussels, Igor Dodon said he will discuss the bilateral relations, implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU and the shortcomings and drawbacks witnessed after two years of implementation. He handed over to Pirkka Tapiola the draft Memorandum of Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Republic of Moldova, which, according to him, does not run counter to the Association Agreement with the EU.

As a result of the statements made by President Igor Dodon, Prime Minister Pavel Filip on January 25 called on the Cabinet members not to allow being involved in the game of political statements made by the President of Moldova Igor Dodon, saying these cannot have a legal impact. He noted these statements only agitate society. The Constitutional Court decided: the President cannot block the activity of the Government, while the Government assumed an ambitious reform program that should be the main preoccupation.

The same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said over 73% of the measures of the national plan of action for implementing the Moldova-EU Association Agreement were carried out. The rate of harmonization of the national legislation with the Community acquis is 34%. Even if only two of the nine articles of the Association Agreement could be implemented de jure before the Association Agreement fully took effect on July 1, 2016, Moldova made effort to implement all the nine articles. During the first two years of implementation of the accord, small steps were taken to reform the public administration, but the reformation actions became more visible in 2016. The measures planned in trade were 63% implemented. Thus, 329 measures of the 522 planned for 2014-2016 were carried out.

On January 27, Maxim Lebedinski announced that he vacated the post of member of the Central Election Commission. The resignation application was submitted to Parliament given the incompatibility with the new post of adviser to the President on legal matters and institutional relations and his representative in the relations with the Government and Parliament held by Lebedinski. Parliament is to examine the resignation application, to accept it and to choose a new CEC member.

The prosecution service marked the 25th anniversary of its foundation. In the event held to celebrate this event on January 27, referring to the reform in the field, Prosecutor General Eduard Harunjen said they are to switch over to the implementation of the most important aspect – changes of mentality and perception. Attending the event, Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu said the reform is felt by high-ranking officials, customs officers, police officers and judges who are investigated and convicted in cases of corruption. Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola noted that the prosecutors must fulfill their duties impartially and objectively and must respect and protect human rights, in accordance with the international treaties to which Moldova is a party.

The National Health Insurance Company said that as of January 27, the Moldovans can change the family doctor and primary medical-sanitary facility throughout the year, during six month of the last change/registration. The provision was included in the new regulations concerning the registration of persons with the family doctor.

Selection by Alina Marin, IPN