The May 22 order concerning self-isolation at home applying to the members of Moldova’s Parliament is designed to primarily organize the Parliament’s work. In a comment for IPN, the president of the Legal Resources Center of Moldova Vladislav Gribincea said the Speaker’s ordinances are mandatory for the MPs, but either they are respected or not is another issue. It is definite that as long as the order is in force, the MPs cannot have physical meetings within commissions or plenary sittings.

The MPs who will be confirmed with COVID-19 must obey the self-isolation rules or they will be liable to punishment, including criminal one, for the spread of contagious diseases, even if they are MPs and have parliamentary immunity.

“An application is filed and the immunity is lifted. But this happens not because the Speaker made that order. It will happen because the person is tested positive, knows this and does not self-isolate. This is the aspect and criminal liability will thus follow,” stated Vladislav Gribincea.

The MPs will self-isolate at home as from May 22 on their own responsibility and will present the results of the tests done for COVID-19. Parliament Speaker Zinaida Grechanyi made such an order after Democratic MP Eugeniu Nikiforchuk contracted the virus.