“This Is a Cheap Political Game.” What Cabinet’s Measures the DA and PAS MPs Are Ready to Support

The DA and PAS party factions are ready to support government initiatives aimed at supporting the population during the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the opposition is ready to appeal again to the Constitutional Court if the Cabinet once again tries to approve a package of measures that were recognized unconstitutional the day before. This was reported on April 14 by the leaders of PAS and DA. According to DA Deputy Chairman Alexandru Slusari, the faction intends to protest against any of the Cabinet’s initiatives previously rejected by the Constitutional Court. At the same time, DA deputies are ready to support the government if it proposes to reduce VAT for bars, restaurants and hotels, as well as tax the airport charge of € 9 with 50%. “We are ready to support these amendments,” Slusari stressed. The same opinion is shared by PAS leader Maia Sandu, who noted that the day before the Constitutional Court “found a violation of the Constitution by the government of Dodon and the PDM-PSRM parliamentary majority.” Sandu also stressed that most of the measures for which the government had taken responsibility were already implemented by the state emergency commission. “This proves that the decision of the Cabinet to take responsibility was nothing more than a cheap political game,” the politician said, adding that the opposition is closely monitoring the actions of the ruling coalition and the government. Note that earlier on April 14, Prime Minister Ion Chicu said that the government would again take responsibility for anti-crisis measures declared unconstitutional. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers noted that this concerns taxation of airport taxes, reduction of VAT for the HORECA sector, taxation of the mining industry in accordance with the physical volume of excavated material, elimination of double taxation of Moldovan producers who supply goods to duty free shops, as well as retaining tobacco products in retail for another year. Chicu noted that the Constitutional Court did not adopt the Cabinet’s package of measures, not because of the laws themselves, but because of non-compliance with the procedure in parliament. Recall that on April 13, the Constitutional Court ruled that the “package of anti-crisis measures,” for which the government took responsibility, does not comply with the provisions of the Moldovan Constitution.