CHISINAU (Moldova), December 2 (SeeNews) – Moldova’s acting President Mihai Ghimpu has proposed to elect the head of state by a simple majority in parliament, aiming to break a seven-month old political deadlock that has deepened the economic recession in the country, the president's press office said.
To get elected, Moldova's president currently needs the support of at least 61 of the 101 members of parliament but no party or coalition in the chamber controls such a large majority to accomplish the task.
Ghimpu has signed a decree to set up a commission that will draft amendments to the constitution, aiming to put an end to the constitutional crisis in the country, the president’s press office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The impoverished ex-Soviet country held parliamentary elections twice this year in a bid to overcome the snag created by the requirement to elect the president with the votes of at least 61 legislators.
The Communists, which governed Moldova since 2001, won 60 seats in the parliament elected in Apri. The chamber was dissolved after two unsuccessful attempts to elect the next head of state. A new legislature was elected in a snap vote in July, where a pro-West coalition currently in power controls 53 seats. The chamber will hold a second vote for new president on December 7 after the first vote in October gave no result. If the second attempt fails, the parliament should be dissolved again and new elections should be held.
Moldova's uncertain political environment has made foreign investors cautious, preferring to stay on the sidelines until the situation stabilises. The political stalemate coupled with the global financial crisis, which led to almost 8.0% contraction of the country's economy in the first half of 2009.
The current mechanism of election of president could generate conflicts, political and economic instability, as parliament risks to be dissolved several times, Ghimpu said in his decree.
Ghimpu's proposal to amend the constitution needs the support of at least 61 members of parliament to get adopted.
If the chamber fails to endorse the proposed amendments, the acting head of state will initiate a referendum to adopt a new constitution, local privately-held broadcaster ProTV Chisinau quoted Ghimpu as saying.