Four MPs renounce seats

Four persons gave up the seats of MP that they won in the April 5 elections and will keep their present posts. Anatolie Zagorodnai, chairman of the legal commission for appointments and immunities, has told Info-Prim Neo that three MPs of the Liberal Party (PL) and one MP representing the Communist Party (PCRM) lodged applications, informing that they renounce the seats in the Parliament. These include the Liberals Dorin Chirtoaca, Mayor General of Chisinau, Nistor Grozavu, deputy mayor of Chisinau, and Valeriu Nemerenco, head of Buiucani district. They will be replaced by the substitute candidates on behalf of the PL: Boris Vieru, editor-in-chief of Natura journal, Ion Apostol, businessman, and Mihail Carlig, head of Rascani district. The head of Floresti district Mihail Rusu, who entered the Parliament on the lists of the PCRM, also gave up the seat of MP and will be substituted by mayor of Sangerei town Gheorghe Brasovschi. The Parliament is also to decide on 10 Communist MPs that form part of the Cabinet. According to Anatolie Zagorodnai, the Parliament will extend the mandates until a new Government is appointed. Article 4 of the Law on the Status of MP allows the officials from the central administration to hold simultaneously the seat of MP for a period of up to 6 months with the Parliament’s consent, Zagorodnai said. Earlier, the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) demanded that the Speaker of Parliament and leader of the PCRM Vladimir Voronin renounce the post of outgoing president of Moldova as, under the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, the post of MP is incompatible with the post of president. Vladimir Voronin refused, invoking another article from the Constitution, which says that the term in office of the president is extended until the incoming president swears an oath of office. The Parliament elected on April 5 is composed of 60 MPs of the PCRM and 41 MPs of the three Liberal Opposition parties – by 15 from the PL and PLDM and 11 from Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN).