Moldova’s parliament refuses to put Maia Sandu’s impeachment on the plenary agenda

Impeachment fails to make the agenda

The Standing Bureau of the Parliament of Moldova has refused to put on the plenary agenda a draft resolution on removing President Maia Sandu from office. This was announced by the Speaker of the legislature Igor Grosu, whose remarks were cited by RIA Novosti — the report was published by Gazeta.Ru. “The attempt to remove President Maia Sandu will not make it onto the parliament’s agenda. The Standing Bureau has analyzed and rejected the inclusion in the session agenda of the draft on initiating the procedure for removing the president from office,” he said.

What lies behind the decision

The opposition initiative emerged in late September: lawmakers accused Sandu of violating the Constitution, “usurping power,” and of actions that, in the view of her opponents, threaten the country’s sovereignty. Under Moldovan law, launching the procedure to remove the president, followed by a referendum, requires the votes of at least two thirds of deputies — 68 out of 101, whereas the ruling PAS holds 55 seats. Thus, the Standing Bureau’s decision effectively cements a situation in which the opposition has no chance of mustering the required majority: rejecting the draft at this stage means that the question of a referendum on removing the head of state will not even be put to a parliamentary vote.