Moldovan president calls for observing constitution
Moldova became a democratic state thanks to the authors of its constitution, whose 15th anniversary is marked on 29 July, acting President Vladimir Voronin told a meeting on July 22.
He said that 15 years was a very short period compared with the 650-year history of the country, during which time "the state was strong but it also had moments of weakness".
"The constitution fulfils one of the most important tasks: it is the stabilizing factor of society. It secured the peaceful and effective shift from one system to another," Voronin said, noting that, to ensure the observance of human rights and free access to justice, Moldova had reformed its judiciary, allowing people to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Referring to constitutional amendments, Voronin said that they focused on the status of judges, the judiciary, the president's role and election procedures. Also, death penalty was abolished, he added.
Voronin said that any deviation from constitutional norms would destroy Moldova's statehood, discredit the authorities and violate human rights.
"Therefore any attempt to defy the constitution should be foiled," he said.
Voronin expressed regret about the main task of the constitution - to restore Moldova's territorial integrity - having not been fulfilled yet.
"The constitution stipulates that the populated areas on the left bank of the Dniester [breakaway Dniester region, a.k.a Transnistria] can be given a special form of autonomy. Parliament unanimously passed the law on the main provisions of the legal status of the populated areas on the left bank of the Dniester," Voronin said.
He called on the Constitutional Court to continue protecting the human rights and freedoms stipulated in the constitution.
"People's faith in the constitution and the state depends on your decisions," Voronin said, congratulating all participants in the meeting on the 15th anniversary of Moldova's constitutio n.
Infotag quoted Moldova's first two presidents, Mircea Snegur and Petru Lucinschi, as saying that the constitution should be amended to meet international standards. They noted that courts were still biased and people did not have full access to the Constitutional Court. They also said that some constitutional provisions were violated because "officials fulfil a boss's instructions", which shows that the country is still facing a totalitarian regime.
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