Moldovan Court Trims President’s Powers to Name PM

Ahead of a no-confidence vote expected in September against the government of Ion Chicu, the Moldovan Constitutional Court on Thursday issued a landmark ruling obliging the President to nominate a PM-candidate from the opposition if they form a new majority in parliament.

The ruling limits the powers of President Igor Dodon to nominate his own candidate for Prime Minister, effectively forcing him to accept whatever nomination the majority in parliament proposes.

The ruling is highly significant in the current circumstances, as defections from the government mean the opposition now numbers 50 of the 101 deputies in parliament, giving the government a majority of only one.

While the President may still nominate his own candidate if there is no absolute majority in parliament, Dodon cannot refuse a proposal coming from the opposition if Chicu loses the no-confidence motion that the opposition is preparing for when parliament resumes in September.

The ruling concerned article 98, paragraph 1, of the constitution, which only vaguely says that after consulting the various parties in parliament, "the President nominates a candidate for the position of Prime Minister". Paragraph 4 then says that, "based on the vote of confidence given by parliament, the President appoints the government".

The ruling comes after an opposition deputy, Igor Munteanu, filed a complaint on June 25 with the court after Dodon stated that he would not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister proposed by any coalition including so-called defectors - meaning those deputies that had moved from one party to another during this term of parliament.

So far, 15 deputies of the co-ruling Democratic Party have left the party and joined the opposition, raising bribery...