A third consecutive parliamentary session was canceled in Moldova on Monday because of a boycott from opposition lawmakers, a Sputnik correspondent in Chisinau reported
CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) A third consecutive parliamentary session was canceled in Moldova on Monday because of a boycott from opposition lawmakers, a Sputnik correspondent in Chisinau reported.
The lawmakers refuse to explore a motion forwarded by the cabinet of ministers to amend this year's government budget. They protest the stipulations seeking to increase government social and business support on the back of the pandemic, which could raise the country's external debt by up to $1 billion.
Opposition parliamentarian Alexandru Slusari, the deputy chairman of the Platform Dignity and Truth party, said the budget controls were a form of government pressure on the lawmaking body.
"There will be no such thing in the country as the executive branch commanding the legislative; we are against the option of considering government initiatives imposed that are on us. We have a normally functioning parliament that can operate normally, either the government agrees with us, or let [Prime Minister] Ion Chicu resign," Slusari said at a briefing earlier in the day.
In addition to Slusari's party, the parliamentary session was skipped by lawmakers from the Sor Party, Party for Action and Solidarity and Pro Moldova. This left the session with 50 seats occupied, just one shy of a quorum.
Moldovan President Igor Dodon said that he would do everything possible to trigger early parliamentary elections because he sees no other way out of the political crisis. He admits that the cabinet may resign for this to happen. His position was shared by Chicu, who said that parliament had discredited itself by refusing to work with the government.
