President of Moldova Igor Dodon has announced start of nationwide actions to support his initiative aimed at switching the republic to the presidential form of government. He believes it is “the only chance for Moldova’s future”.
“We shall inform further what nationwide actions we mean. It is not the right time to discuss it now,” the president’s spokesman Ion Ceban elaborated.
During his confrontation with the government, Dodon repeatedly stated that his political opponents “spare no effort to weaken the president” by calling it power grab.
“The ruling regime has done its best to weaken powers of the president, despite the fact that it would be logical to extent presidential powers after returning to direct national elections of the president,” Dodon said addressing the Moldovan citizens.
He noted that his initiatives submitted to the parliament and dealing with “social support of the population, educational institutions, healthcare, economic development” were blocked by the parliamentary majority represented by the Democratic Party.
“The presidential rule is the only chance for Moldova’s future, and we must use it. We announce start of nationwide actions in order to support the presidential form of government,” Dodon said.
The key controversial issue in Moldova is its foreign policy. The president insists the republic needs to drift towards Russia, while the parliamentary majority and the government controlled by it prefers closer cooperation with the West. Dodon has been blocking legislative initiatives of the pro-European government; his proposals, in turn, find no support among parliamentarians.
The Constitutional Court previously ruled that “the president’s refusal to fulfil his constitutional duties means his incapability of fulfilling the duties” which allows the chair of the parliament of the prime minister fulfilling them.