The Constitutional Court of Moldova has suspended President Igor Dodon from office, as Interfax reports.
The court found that the suspension is necessary “for unblocking the process of promulgation of laws adopted by the Parliament according to the legislative procedure”.
The decision comes after Dodon again refused to promulgate the law limiting the broadcast of Russian TV channels. The Constitutional Court confirmed that the President can veto a law once. If the Parliament adopts it again, he must promulgate it.
The court came to the conclusion that “the President has deliberately refused to execute his constitutional responsibilities” and announced him “temporarily unfit to execute his duties”.
The anti-Russian propaganda law will be promulgated by Prime Minister Pavel Filip of Speaker of the Parliament Andrian Candu instead, as they are temporarily executing the President’s duties.
The law was adopted by the Parliament on Dec.7 and forbids broadcasting Russian news and informational and analytical programmes on TV and radio. Dodon returned the law for revision to the Parliament on Dec. 20, and on Dec. 22 the Parliament adopted it again without changes. Even after this Dodon refused to promulgate the law and addressed the Constitutional Court to consider the law.