Moldova Parliament Rejects Proposed PM, Bringing Elections Nearer

Moldova has moved a step closer to snap elections after the Socialist-dominated parliament failed for a second time to accept the Prime Minister nominated by the pro-Western President.

The interim leader of Action and Solidarity Party Igor Grosu (C) and the PPDA deputy Alexandru Slusari (R) attend a meeting with the leaders of all parliamentary parties in Moldova. Photo: EPA/Doru Dumitru

Igor Grosu, the Prime Minister-designate proposed by Moldova’s pro-Western President, failed to receive the votes needed to invest his cabinet on Thursday due to a lack of quorum in the parliament.

Grosu said the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, PAS, which he leads, is still ready to assume responsibility “to manage the pandemic crisis and early parliamentary elections”.

After the second failure to vote for a new Prime Minister, President Maia Sandu has the right to ask for the dissolution of the present parliament and organise snap elections.

Sandu nominated Grosu to form a new government on March 16. On March 17, the Socialists came up with a new candidate of their own, Vladimir Golovatiuc, but by then Sandu had by then already nominated PAS’s Grosu.

On Monday, the Constitutional Court ruled that Grosu’s nomination was lawful, triggering dissatisfaction among the Socialists.

On Thursday, the Socialists and the parliamentary group For Moldova, of which the Shor Party is a part, said they would not give a vote of confidence to Grosu, his team or his governing programme.

“The consultations were mimicked … It is a theatre play, and I do not think anyone took the vote seriously,” Socialist deputy Vlad Batrincea said.

The other pro-European group in parliament, the Platform for Dignity and Truth Party, PPDA, former allies with PAS, said the vote was a staged performance by PAS, the Socialists and the Shor Party.

“Within 15 minutes of this meeting, the candidate for Prime Minister [Grosu] said that PAS would not vote for him. I say with all responsibility that this is a joke for the country,” Alexandru Slusari, MP and vice-president of the PPDA, said.

The chief of the pro-Russian Socialist group in parliament, Corneliu Furculita, warned that the majority in the parliament would continue to insist on the nomination of Vladimir Golovatiuc, currently Moldova’ ambassador to Moscow, as Prime Minister.