Dodon on April 15 Decision of Moldova's CC: Judges Are Under Pressure

PSRM leader Igor Dodon says that the magistrates of the Constitutional Court are under pressure from foreign ambassadors in making a decision on the dissolution of the parliament. According to Igor Dodon, President Maia Sandu is also allegedly trying to influence the CC's decision through the ISS, an institution subordinate to the presidential administration, ipn.md reports. On April 15, the Constitutional Court is to consider the appeal of the head of state on whether the circumstances of the dissolution of parliament have occurred. Igor Dodon states that in a democratic state, the Constitutional Court would rule in favor of the parliament. “If we followed the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court and the previous recommendations of the Venice Commission, the Constitutional Court would have to say that there is no reason to dissolve the parliament. But knowing what some ambassadors are doing now, putting pressure on the members of the Constitutional Court, knowing how Maia Sandu and the ISS subordinate to her work today, I do not exclude that the decision will be different,” Igor Dodon said in a special news release of the First Television in Moldova. Moreover, Igor Dodon says that if the judges of the Constitutional Court decide to dissolve the parliament, then the parliamentary majority can ignore this decision, repeating the precedent of 2019, when the Venice Commission ruled in favor of the deputies in a dispute between the Constitutional Court and the Parliament. “In 2019, the PSRM together with Maia Sandu did not recognize the decision of the Constitutional Court. Then we turned to the Venice Commission, which ruled in favor of the parliamentary majority. The sitting members of the Constitutional Court risk being the second composition of the Constitutional Court who resort to power usurpation in the state, it is up to them to decide,” Igor Dodon said. The PSRM leader also says that his party is not afraid of early parliamentary elections, but they should be organized after the country recovers from the pandemic and economic crisis. “It is clear that 3 parties will enter the parliament: PAS, PSRM and the Shor party. The lot of the rest is only to win over the votes from the right or left forces. We are not afraid of early elections, we will at least retain our current mandates. Let the other half of the parliament be afraid of not crossing the electoral threshold,” Igor Dodon said.