CHISINAU. Dec 3 (Interfax) - The Moldovan parliament has reduced the president's powers by resubordinating the Security and Intelligence Service to the parliament.
The newly-formed parliamentary majority passed the decision in two readings, without putting it up for discussion at a plenary session.
The majority currently consists of the parliamentary factions of the Party of Socialists (PSRM) and the Shor Party and numbers 51 of the 101 members. The opposition did not take part in the vote, but tried to disrupt the session, with its members whistling and chanting "Shame to the ShorDon [Shor and Dodon] coalition!"
The legislation stipulates that the parliament shall appoint the director of the Security and Intelligence Service and two of his or her deputies.
The bill was drafted by a group of PSRM lawmakers and was registered on December 1. The document has drawn fierce criticism from rightwing parties and President-elect Maia Sandu, who has described the initiative as an attempt to usurp power.
A protest demonstration took place near the parliament building on Thursday. The voting itself was held while the parliamentary rostrum was blocked by legislators from the factions of the Party of Action and Solidarity and the Dignity and Truth Platform Party (DA Platform).
When outgoing President Igor Dodon was taking office in 2016, the parliament resubordinated the Security and Intelligence Service to itself at the suggestion of Vladimir Plahotniuc, the richest man in Moldova, who was then a parliamentarian, which was harshly criticized by the PSRM at the time. In summer 2019, members of a coalition made up of the PSRM and Sandu's bloc of parties put the service back under the president's control, but now it will be reporting to the parliament again.
Sandu on Wednesday called on her supporters to rally in protest against what she described as Dodon's attempts to usurp power. Several thousand people gathered for a demonstration, but as soon as they dispersed, the parliamentary majority passed all the controversial bills within minutes and without a discussion.