Parliamentarians have different points of view regarding the legitimacy of MEC minister’s dismissal

The dismissal of the Minister of Economy and Commerce is an action that is perfectly valid according to the existent procedural field from the Republic of Moldova, believes the Parliament’s speaker Marian Lupu. On the other hand, the leader of the “Our Moldova Alliance” (OMA) Serafim Urecheanu believes that ministers should be appointed and dismissed by the Parliament, and not by the head of state as in the case of Valeriu Lazar. Marian Lupu declared for the press that the president of the Republic of Moldova has the right to appoint and dismiss ministries. But Serafim Urecheanu believes that appointing Lazar was a mistake from the beginning. “But once he was appointed and started his activity he should have been allowed to continue, and prepare the budget for 2007”, the OMA leader considers. According to Urecheanu, the employment policy of the Republic of Moldova, especially the one regarding the ministers’ positions, is very ill designed. The MP qualified as very strange the fact that in a parliamentary republic, the legislative has nothing to do with dismissing ministers of their appointment, and claims the Parliament has to look into the matter. Valeriu Lazar has been dismissed through a presidential decree on September 18. According to a press release of the Presidency, his dismissal was determined by the unsatisfactory activity of this minister in the strategic issues of the Republic of Moldova’s development. “It is a negative evaluation not only of the ministry Valeriu Lazar, but of the MEC at whole”, Vladimir Voronin declared. Through another presidential decree, the function of the minister of Economy and Commerce has been taken by Igor Dodon, who previously was vice-minister in the same ministry. Lazar held the vice-minister position of Economy and Commerce when this structure was led by the current speaker, Marian Lupu. Valeriu Lazar is the first minister to de dismissed by the current Government, named „Tarlev 2”, active since April 2005.