Igor Dodon: It Was Me to Propose Mariana Durleshteanu’s Candidacy

PSRM leader Igor Dodon was the first to nominate Mariana Durleshteanu for the post of prime minister. According to the former president, the idea came up during a meeting with party colleagues, and Durlesteanu gave a positive answer several hours later,  agora.md reported. “I had a narrow format meeting with Zinaida Greceanîi and some colleagues. We discussed what to do if Natalia Gavrilitsa is not voted on February 11. Will we have our own candidate or not,” Igor Dodon said. According to the leader of the PSRM, the socialists had a whole list of possible candidates they could propose. “And then I told Mrs. Greceanîi that I have an idea, a very interesting candidate - Mariana Durleshteanu. Together we called her and she said that she should think about, and a few hours later she called back and said she accepted,” Igor Dodon added. Recall, on February 11, 2021, when Natalia Gavrilitsa, the candidate nominated by President Maia Sandu for the post of Prime Minister presented her government's program of activities at the plenary session of parliament, PSRM leader Igor Dodon said that they were nominating another candidate for this position - Mariana Durleshteanu. Shortly thereafter, a parliamentary majority of 54 deputies formalized and declared their support for the Socialist candidate. However, Maia Sandu re-nominated Natalia Gavrilitsa for the post of head of government. On February 23, after notifying the PSRM, the Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional the decree of President Maia Sandu on re-nominating Natalia Gavrilitsa.