Moldovan premier advocates nationwide presidential elections
Prime Minister Vlad Filat has said that Moldova should return to direct presidential elections, thus removing all pre-requisites for political crises. Presently, the head of state is elected in parliament.
"Our country needs a nationwide elected president, who would be the guarantor of the constitution and a mediator between the power branches and political forces," Vlad Filat said in an interview with Interfax. Filat is the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, which is a member of the recently created ruling Alliance for European Integration.
Filat said that his party had collected 200,000 signatures in favour of constitutional amendments. "A referendum on the matter may be initiated," Filat said.
"Even if we solve the issue this autumn and elect the president, it will be on our agenda anyway. This issue should be overcome in order to remove pre-requisites for new political crises," the prime minister said.
Nonetheless, Vlad Filat believes that the presidential election "can be held given that legislation does not stipulate the compulsoriness of holding it on an alternative basis". "Moreover, it is not quite fair to put forward a second candidate who is doomed to receive zero votes," he said.
At the same time, he said that "nothing awful will happen" if the election is postponed.
"We still have time. One way or another, the election will take place within the period seen by the legislation," Filat said.
Parliament has two attempts to elect the president until 11 November. The 53-strong ruling alliance is short of eight votes to elect the president and the Communist opposition said they would not participate in the ballot. If parliament fails to elect the he ad of state, it must be dissolved.
In this respect, Filat voiced hope that "at least eight Communist MPs will cast their ballots for the president".
He said that discussions with the Communist Party "should not turn into a sort of bargain and cannot target the revision of the already formed authorities".
As for prospects for a snap parliamentary election, Filat said that it may be held "by the end of spring 2010". "Simply because all the authorities, including a legally capable president, should be functional," he explained.
Moldova was a presidential republic until 2000 when the constitution was amended. Presently, the democratic parliamentary majority put forward only one presidential candidate, Marian Lupu. The 23 October election was postponed.
Interfax, corporate-owned Russian news agency
- Moldova finances confidence building projects with Transnistria
- PM Vlad Filat: Moldova is not going to join NATO
- Moldovans to travel to Romania without visa in border's proximity
- Vlad Filat: Key to the Transnistrian conflict is in Chisinau
- Moldovan premier meets chairman of Romanian Senate Geoana
- Voronin states communists shall boycott presidential election
- French official visit Chisinau to discuss France-Moldova relation
- Moldovan opposition vows to boycott repeat presidential election
- Moldova keeps fighting for attention
- Moldova’s governing coalition to continue dialog with communists
- Visiting U.S. diplomat pledges support for Moldova
- Yatseniuk proposes neo-isolationist third way for Ukraine
- Two ex-Transnistrian parliament speakers ask Smirnov to resign
- Moldova finances confidence building projects with Transnistria
- PM Vlad Filat: Moldova is not going to join NATO
- Moldovan Government appoints new deputy ministers
- Zerkalo: Moldova reluctant to resolve border issues with Ukraine
- Osipov: Any federalization options are not acceptable for Moldova
- Moldova to launch talks on new cooperation agreement with EU
- Molodvan FM Leanca: No quick solution of Transnistrian conflict
- Analysis: Black Sea Rivalry
- Iraq: Saddam Hussein and another ex-senior officials sentenced to death by hanging
- The rise and fall of Saddam Hussein
- 10 most important world events of 2005
- Report: Saddam Hussein has been executed
- Deadly blast at checkpoint near Peshawar
- Saddam Hussein handed over to Iraqi authorities, say lawyers
- Saddam Hussein's execution could be within next 48-36 hours
- Hillary Clinton determined to win the White House
- John Edwards running for White House
