Moldova election: Pro-EU parties edge pro-Russian rivals

Partial results from Moldova's parliamentary elections show that pro-EU parties have a narrow lead over those backing closer ties with Russia. With 80% of the votes counted, the three pro-Western parties have about 44%. The opposition has 40%. No party appears to be able to form a government, and tough post-election bargaining is predicted. On the eve of the vote, one pro-Russian party was banned from Sunday's poll - a move criticised by Russia. The elections have taken on a wider significance in the shadow of the bloody crisis in neighbouring Ukraine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30265985

Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia Sign Association Deals with EU

Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the European Union signed association agreements that foresee the creation of a free-trade zone with the EU during a summit in Brussels Friday. Kiev has only signed the economic part of its association agreement. Following the political upheaval in Ukraine, the EU’s heads of state and governments decided to split the association agreement into two parts. The political part of the agreement was signed on March 21. The economic section of the agreement stipulates the free-trade zone is to go into effect in the fall, after it is ratified by the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry hopes the legislature will approve the EU association agreement in July. Russia has free-trade agreements with Ukraine and Moldova in the CIS framework while Georgia, which is not a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, is still party to several CIS trade agreements.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140627/190730285/Ukraine-Moldova-Georgia-Ink-Association-Deals-with-EU-Create.html

Moldova's Prosecutor-General Accused Of Killing A Man While Hunting

The leader of a Moldovan anticorruption party has accused Prosecutor-General Valeriu Zubco of killing a man last month while hunting. The prosecutor's office issued a statement on January 6 calling the accusations against Zubco "aberrations" but acknowledged that a 34-year-old man was injured in a hunting incident and died two days later. Sergiu Mocanu, the head of the Anti-Mafia Movement, said Zubco killed Sorin Paciu, 34, during a hunting trip on December 23. Mocanu told a news conference that "Moldova's top leadership" prevented the information from being made public and alleged that the president and vice president of Moldova's Appeals Court were present during the incident.

http://www.rferl.org/content/moldova-zubco-hunting-death/24817243.html
http://www.lenta.ru/news/2013/01/09/hunt/

Moldova Bans Communist Symbols

Moldova's parliament has banned the use of communist symbols and condemned crimes committed by the communist regime in the former Soviet republic of Moldova. The move means that the Communist Party will have to replace its Soviet-era hammer and sickle with a new emblem. The Communist Party -- which has 36 deputies in parliament -- did not take part in the vote and walked out as a sign of protest. Communist Party leader Vladimir Voronin said his party would challenge the law in the Constitutional Court. The move could also complicate efforts to settle the long-running dispute with Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region, which continues to use communist-era symbols.

http://www.rferl.org/content/moldova-bans-communist-symbols/24643461.html

Russia may Ban Imports from Transnistria

On the heels of Kremlin statements against the extended rule of Igor Smirnov — leader of the breakaway Moldovan republic of Transnistria — Russia's consumer protection chief Gennady Onishchenko has announced a possible ban on imports of cognac from the region.  "In the near future, we will be taking a whole row of measures in regard to Transnistria. Questions have arisen in regard to the infamous KVINT cognac. We may be imposing limits on its importation," Onishchenko said Friday.  An executive at the plant, who also preferred not to be identified, told Reuters that KVINT cognac meets quality standards and that Onishchenko's allegations were "a disgrace." Onishchenko's comments came a day after Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Naryshkin expressed a critical view of Smirnov's rule, and urged him not to run for a fifth term.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/watchdog-could-ban-transdnestr-cognac/445582.html

Kremlin Demands that Transnistrian President Go

Russia’s Presidential Administration head Sergey Naryshkin was publicly critical of the presidential election process in the unrecognized state of Transnistria. Naryshkin criticized the intention of incumbent Transnistrian President Igor Smirnov to run for the office for the fifth time. “I think this is a mistake on his part. . . . . We recommended Smirnov to unblock the way for new political forces,” Naryshkin said. The Kremlin openly backs another presidential candidate, parliament speaker Anatoly Kaminsky. Transnistria is a breakaway province of Moldova not recognized by any UN member state. Russia has not formally recognized Transnistria either, but has a military contingent there.

http://gazeta.ru/politics/2011/10/13_a_3800530.shtml

Moldovan Constitutional Court Chairman Sacked for Demanding Parliament Dissolution

Moldova’s Constitutional Court (CC) Chairman Dumitru Pulbere was dismissed from the Chairman's post by a non-confidence vote from other CC judges. (Pulbere remains a CC judge.) The reason for the dismissal is that Pulbere said in an interview that the Moldovan Parliament must be dissolved by 28 September 2011 and that otherwise its acts after that date would be invalid. Moldova's Constitution indeed envisages the dissolution of Parliament if it fails to elect President (which it failed to do), but prohibits dissolving it more than once a year (the last dissolution was on 28 September 2010). The issue of the validity of acts adopted after the end of the one-year term seems disputable. The ruling coalition accused Pulbere of making a “politically engaged statement” and demanded his dismissal.

http://www.lenta.ru/news/2011/09/28/resign1/

Moldovan Constitutional Court Orders Dissolution of Parliament

Moldova’s Constitutional Court directed acting President, Mihai Ghimpu, to dissolve the parliament and to call early elections. The reason for the court directive is that the parliament has been unable to elect a new President in two attempts, as required by the Constitution.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1508023
http://rt.com/Politics/2010-09-21/court-moldovan-parliament-disband.html

Moldovan Referendum Fails

Only about 30% of eligible voters took part in the constitutional referendum in Moldova, which falls below the 33% minimum required for the referendum to be valid. The referendum was supposed to unblock the current political deadlock by introducing direct elections for the Moldovan presidency. The Moldovan parliament, which under the current Constitution elects the President, has been unable to elect one.

http://lenta.ru/news/2010/09/06/referendum/

Soviet Occupation Day Abolished

The Constitutional Court of Moldova found unconstitutional acting President Mihai Ghimpu's recent decree introducing "Soviet Occupation Day," which was commemorated on June 28. On that day in 1940, the USSR annexed Bessarabia, formerly part of Romania, to establish the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic within the USSR.

http://lenta.ru/news/2010/07/12/unlawful/

Moldova Introduces Soviet Occupation Day

Acting Moldovan President Mihai Ghimpu issued a decree establishing Soviet Occupation Day, commemorated on June 28. On that day in 1940 the USSR annexed Bessarabia, formerly part of Romania, to establish the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic within the USSR. Moldovan Communists believe the presidential decree has been issued ultra vires. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the decree “sacrilege.” The Moldovan ruling parliamentary coalition requested that Ghimpu annul his decree, but he refused. The issue may be considered by the Moldovan Constitutuional Court.

http://lenta.ru/news/2010/06/28/deny/
http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/0/EA8E1A5877F17F39C325774D003284EA
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1394516

Moldovan Chief Justice Removal Held Unconstitutional

Moldova’s Constitutional Court found unconstitutional the recent removal by the parliament of Supreme Judicial Chamber Chairman Ion Muruianu. The parliament removed Muruianu, in particular, for calling journalists (who criticized judges) “mad dogs dangerous for society.” The Constitutional Court found procedural violations and directed the Parliament to reconsider its decision.

http://lenta.ru/news/2010/04/27/court1/

Moldova Demands Russian Army to Go

Acting Moldovan President Mihai Ghimpu demanded that Russian peacekeepers immediately leave Transnistria, a breakaway Moldovan province. This seems to be in conflict with the 2009 Russian-Moldovan-Transnistrian declaration signed by then Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, calling for “transformation” of the Russian peace-keeping operation only after a settlement of the Moldovan-Transnistrian dispute. Transnistrian authorities, in turn, asked Russia to increase the strength of the Russian forces there from 1,800 to 2,400.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1307691&NodesID=5

Former Moldovan Interior Minister Prosecuted

In Moldova criminal proceedings were instituted against a number of former high-ranking police officials, including former Interior Minister Georgy Papuk. The investigation is related to the mass disorders that took place in Moldova in the wake of April 2009 parliamentary elections, when opposition demonstrators took over and looted the presidential palace and the parliament building. The opposition, in turn, acсused the police of unnecessary brutality. The police officials are charged with “criminal negligence.”

http://lenta.ru/news/2009/12/23/case1/

Computer Hackers Indicted in $9 m. Heist

Federal prosecutors in Atlanta, Georgia have indicted seven computer hackers in Russia, Moldova, and Estonia for computer fraud in a $9.4 million theft in November 2008 from a Royal Bank of Scotland payroll services division. The indictment alleges that the defendants raised account limits on payroll debit cards and used counterfeit debit cards to remove the cash in 12 hours from 2,100 ATMs in the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, and Canada. Indictment proceedings are pending against the defendants in Estonia.
http://atlanta.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/atl111009.htm

Moldovan Policemen Convicted of Heroin Smuggling

A Moldovan court sentenced two Turkish citizens and two high-ranking Moldovan police officers to various prison terms (2 to 13 years) for drug smuggling. According to the judgment, the Turks transported 200 kilos of heroin from Afghanistan to Holland through Moldova, and the policemen provided security.

http://lenta.ru/news/2009/10/22/jail/

Moldovan Constitutional Court Dismisses Communists’ Complaint

By a 3-3 split decision the Moldovan Constitutional Court dismissed a complaint by the Communist Party challenging the hasty election of the parliament speaker before the Communists could form their parliamentary faction. The decision effectively allows the newly formed anti-communist parliamentary majority to proceed with elections for President of Moldova.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1234467

Transnistria Strengthens Presidential Power

Transnistria, a breakaway Moldovan province, began the “popular discussion” of the draft of its new Constitution, the referendum on which is expected by the end of this year. The new Constitution makes presidential power much stronger then now: according to it, the president appoints upper parliament chamber members, may dissolve the lower chamber, appoint local administration heads, top judges and the prime minister, etc. The drafters say they have used the Russian political system as a model. The Transnistrian authorities have declared that their main goal is to join Russia as a constituency.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1210928&NodesID=5

Ex-Minister Acquitted On Arms Trafficking Charges

An appeal instance court in Moldova acquitted Valery Pasat, formerly the Defense Minister, who earlier had been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on allegations of illegally selling MiG-29 fighters and Uragan volley fire systems to the U.S. in 1990s. Meanwhile Pasat, who calls all accusations “political,” had spent more than two years in confinement.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1204929&NodesID=6 (Russ.)