The investing of the Filip Government, protests, direct presidential elections after a period of about 20 years and other events marked the year 2016. At yearend, IPN News Agency presents the most important events of each of the 12 months of the year.
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Key event of December: Inauguration of President Igor Dodon.
On December 2, the problems faced in the media sector were discussed in the second Media Forum. Among the biggest problems, media experts mentioned the low quality of journalistic products provided by most of the media outlets and defective communication with officials holding administrative posts.
On December 4, 15 more deputies of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia were chosen as result of the runoff elections. Thus, together with the results of the first round of voting held on November 20, deputies were elected in 32 constituencies of the 35. The elections in the other three constituencies will be rerun in 60 days.
On December 7, the Superior Council of Prosecutors chose Eduard Harunjen as the winner of the contest to fill the post of prosecutor general. One day later, President Nicolae Timofti signed a decree to confirm this to post.
On December 10, Marian Lupu announced that he resigned from the post of chairman of the Democratic Party. In two weeks, on December 24, Vlad Plahotniuc was chosen as the party’s leader in the eighth congress of the PDM.
In the December 16 sitting of Parliament, the MPs passed in the final reading the draft national public budget law for 2017. This provides for revenues of 51.1 billion lei and a total expenditure of 55.4 billion lei. The budget deficit is 4.3 billion lei or 3% of the GDP.
Also on December 16, Parliament voted in two readings a bill by which retail trade based on patent is authorized until December 31, 2018.
The same day, the MPs adopted in the final reading the pension system reform bill. The women and men in Moldova will retire at the age of 63, while the insurance period will rise to 34 years.
On December 17, the World Bank Group’s Board of Directors approved the US$45 million Second Development Policy Operation (DPO-2) for Moldova. DPO-2 gives budgetary support to the Government to make business regulation more transparent and less burdensome.
On December 23, Igor Dodon took a constitutional oath as President of Moldova. In his speech, he assured he will not forget about the commitments and promises made to the people. Igor Dodon, the leader of the Socialists of Moldova, won the November 13 presidential runoff by 52.18% of the ballot.
Five days later, on December 28, Igor Dodon signed the first legislative initiative as Head of State - to annul the law that envisions the conversion of the guarantees provided for the loans released by the National Bank of Moldova to three banks that were later liquidated into state debt. Prime Minister Pavel Filip reiterated that the given law is constitutional and this fact was confirmed by the Constitutional Court, which examined two challenges on the issue, one of which was submitted by MPs of the Party of Socialists that was led by Igor Dodon.
Selection by Anastasia Rusu, IPN