CHISINAU – Moldova’s parliamentary majority has decided to dismiss Constitutional Court president Domnica Manole.
The resolution appointing Manole was made on August 16, 2019 in violation of the law, the chairman of the law, appointments and immunity commission, Vasile Bolea, said.
The parliament had conducted a competition for two positions in the court, he said. However, the jobs went not to the successful candidates but to others who were selected for their political affiliation, he said.
“For this reason we believe that the parliament has the right to annul its own resolution appointing Domnica Manole to the CC,” Bolea said.
Manole’s dismissal was favored by 53 deputies out of the 68 in attendance. Deputies from the pro-presidential Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and the Platform DA party walked out in protest at the vote.
Earlier, the parliament had approved a political declaration expressing no-confidence in three CC members “who broke their oath by ruling that there were reasons for the dissolution of the parliament.”
Under the constitution, “Constitutional Court judges are irreplaceable throughout their term, independent and submit to the Constitution only.”
On April 15, the court ruled that the parliament may be dissolved. Under the ruling, President Maia Sandu must sign a dissolution decree and set a date for early elections.
