Moldova could lose another ECHR case

Moldova could lose one more case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This time the Moldovan Government may be obliged to cancel the law (273-XVI of 07.12.2007) imposing a series of restrictions on occupying public positions by people having more citizenships, including the Romanian citizenship, Info Prim Neo reports. After the Law on dual citizenship was questioned at the ECHR by the Chisinau mayor, Dorin Chirtoaca, who is also the deputy president of the Liberal Party (PLM) and by the municipal councilor and deputy president of the Liberal-Democratic Party (PLDM), lawyer Alexandru Tanase, the Strasbourg Court asked the Moldovan Government to submit explanations on the matter till 12 August, 2008 . At a news conference on Friday, the two politicians said their application is based “on severe violations of the human rights.” ”It is an act passed in a Communist style and is part from a series of moves to divide society, to segregate the people uncomfortable for the power,” Alexandru Tanase said. ”Moreover, this law runs counter the European Convention on citizenship, ratified by the Chisinau Parliament in 1999,” he said . The capital's mayor, Dorin Chirtoaca, has said he expects a favorable decision on behalf of the ECHR, which will be one more step made by Europe to strengthen Moldova's justice. “Thus, Moldova will be made to respect all its citizens and not to divide them in groups of “good” and “bad”. I hope this decision will allow the states conferring citizenship to Moldovans to do it with enhanced insistence,” the mayor said. Both Alexandru Tanase and Dorin Chirtoaca have said they questioned the law at the ECHR as natural entities and have not asked for moral damages. “It's a matter touching in hundreds of thousands of people, citizens of this year. It is a move in society's interest. We want to defend the constitutional rights of the ones having the citizenship of another state and will not be able to run for certain public functions,” Tanase underlined. Asked by journalists, the chairman of the Appointments and Immunities Committee of the Parliament, Vladimir Turcan, says the Parliament acted in accordance with the international law and the Moldovan Constitution. “This law is in strict concordance with article 54 of the Constitution which provide that certain restrictions related to the human rights can be legalized, if those are necessary to respect the state's sovereignty, security and independence,” Turcan said. According to him, when passing the law, they consulted with the Venice Commission especially as to the right to be elected. From two versions, they selected the most democratic liberal one, existent also in Lithuania. It envisages that a candidate to the position of an MP shall declare, before the electoral race begins, about having dual citizenship. In case he/she is elected, the person shall confirm to have started the procedure of giving up the citizenship of other states, Turcan specified.