President Can Be Removed from Office While the Prime Minister Is Appointed in Moldova

While the prime minister is appointed, the powers of the president are limited in Moldova. If the president refuses to approve the proposed by the parliamentary majority candidacy of the head of the cabinet, then he will be temporarily removed. This decision was made on August 6 by the Constitutional Court (CC). “While appointing a candidate for prime minister, the president's discretionary powers are limited. If there is an absolute parliamentary majority, the president is required to approve the prime minister's candidacy proposed by the parliamentary majority. If there is no absolute parliamentary majority, the president, after consulting the parliamentary parties, is obliged to nominate a candidate for the post of prime minister, even if the factions do not agree with his proposal. If the president refuses to nominate chosen by the parliamentary majority candidate for the post of prime minister, the president is to be removed from office or dismissed,” said Domnica Manole, the Constitutional Court chairman. Manole noted that the best solution would be to remove the head of state and appoint an interim president. Since, in contrast to the complicated and lengthy procedure for president’s resignation, as a result of the temporary suspension, it is possible in a short time to resolve issues related to the full-fledged work of the country's important bodies. Let us remind you that in June Igor Munteanu, the deputy from the Dignity and Truth Platform party, appealed to the Constitutional Court requesting to explain the procedure for prime minister candidate appointing, in case the head of state refuses to nominate the ruling majority. It should be noted that over the past three years, the Constitutional Court has removed President Igor Dodon from office six times after he refused signing certain laws or appointing ministers.