The Constitutional Court of Moldova handed the country’s President Maia Sandu a victory on Thursday when it ruled she can dissolve the country’s parliament.
President Sandu has been at odds with the parliament since winning a landslide election against the previous president, pro-Russia incumbent Igor Dodon. The parliament is dominated by Dodon’s Socialist Party and has prevented Sandu from forming a government. Sandu has sought new elections hoping that her Party of Action and Solidarity can win a majority.
The parliament twice refused to consider Sandu’s nominee for prime minister. Under Article 85(1) and (2) of the Moldova constitution, the president has the right to dissolve parliament to form a new government. The constitutional court found that the present circumstances justify dissolving parliament.
Dodon issued a statement on Facebook claiming that Sandu put undue pressure on the court to reach its decision and urged that parliament draft a declaration of usurpation of power. He also called for the resignation of the judges of the constitutional court. Sandu also released a statement in the wake of the court’s decision, saying that it was “time to end one of the most corrupt Parliaments in the history of the Republic of Moldova” and that she would soon issue a decree dissolving parliament and setting a date for early elections.
