Bivol: Hebel’s Controversial Appointment Will Not Affect the European Commission’s Report

The comments were made by Andrei Bivol, chairman of the Judicial Evaluation Commission, on the television program Punctul pe AZI, according to tvrmoldova.md. “The Commission does not comment on political processes in the Republic of Moldova. We are dependent on politics in terms of the laws we are required to apply,” he said. At the same time, the Commission’s head acknowledged that there are differing views on this appointment: “I believe that there are valid arguments on both sides of the fence as to why this should not have been done or why it should have been done. Of course, any dispute can provoke negative or positive emotions, depending on who you ask”. He emphasized that the European Union would primarily assess the results of the review, rather than the disputes surrounding the appointments. “The EU will focus on the results of our work, which has absolutely nothing to do with this dispute,” he said. The appointment of Herman von Hebel to the Prosecutor’s Evaluation Commission on 6 March drew sharp criticism from the parliamentary opposition and some representatives of civil society after the parliamentary majority amended the law, allowing Herman von Hebel’s appointment by 51 votes instead of 61. The law was passed and promulgated on the same day.