Moldova's Democratic Party Govt Resigns

Moldova's Democratic Party (PDM) says Prime Minister Pavel Filip's government is resigning, signaling that a standoff with an incoming coalition cabinet is coming to an end.

Vladimir Cebotari, vice president of PDM, announced the decision at a news conference in Chisinau on June 14.

He said PDM decided to stand down in an effort to resolve the weeklong political crisis that pitted the party against a coalition between the ACUM pro-EU alliance and the pro-Russian Socialist Party following months of political limbo caused by an inconclusive parliamentary election.

"We are stepping down in order to avoid an escalation that could lead to violence," Cebotari said.

After the February elections resulted in a hung legislature, Moldova's Constitutional Court on June 7 ordered the dissolution of parliament and ordered new elections to be held

The basis of the ruling was a Moldovan law that requires a government to be formed within three months of the certification of election results

But on June 8, parliamentary leaders from President Igor Dodon's Socialist Party struck a surprise deal with ACUM

The new alliance, which controls 61 of the 101 seats in parliament, announced its goal was to remove Filip's government from power

The alliance accused the court of misinterpreting the constitution and annulling the previous election results after 90 days instead of three months

It also voted to approve a new government led by one of ACUM's leaders, Maia Sandu.

But the court responded on June 9 by declaring Sandu's government unconstitutional and suspending Dodon, the former leader of the Socialist Party.

Filip then stepped in as interim president, immediately dissolving the parliament and calling for snap elections on September 6.

Critics have said the court is under the thumb of PDM leader Vladimir Plahotniuc, a controversial tycoon who controls numerous businesses and a media empire, and who is accused by some of running Moldova from the shadows.

After both governments claimed power for the past week, PDM said its decision to step down "will partially solve the political gridlock and is now a clear signal that PDM is not clinging to power."

But Cebotari warned that the move "will by no means solve the legal and institutional gridlock."
"Under these circumstances, the task of legally assuming governmental power must be solved by the PSRM-ACUM binomial [coalition]," Cebotari said.

Sandu voiced hope that PDM's decision to concede defeat was "sincere," but she also called for the resignation of the court and the country's prosecutor-general.

"I have a message to the entire world: Moldova is finally free," Sandu said. "And we would like to thank everybody who helped us in these difficult times."