Author: Vladimir Voronin, Chairman of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, President of the Republic of Moldova (2001–2009)
The controversies surrounding the so-called constitutional referendum have barely subsided, yet the modified text of the Constitution has already been printed and distributed to parliament members. With misplaced and somewhat naive bravado, Speaker Igor Grosu declared that the Constitution now includes "important" aspects such as the "European identity" of the Moldovan people, the inviolability of the European course, and — arguably their greatest achievement — the designation of Romanian as the official language.
Unknowingly, Grosu effectively confessed to wrongdoing. He, his party, and President Maia Sandu are guilty of at least three constitutional violations against the Moldovan state.
Fraud 1: The Language Issue
The Constitution mandates that changes can only be made with the support of at least two-thirds of parliamentary deputies (68 votes). The ruling PAS party lacks such a majority. Despite this, the party unilaterally amended Article 13 of the Constitution, replacing "Moldovan language" with "Romanian language" using a simple majority vote — a procedure allowed only for passing organic laws.
They justified this by referencing earlier rulings of the Constitutional Court, led by unionist Alexandru Tănase, who integrated the Declaration of Independence into the Constitution, creating contradictions. Tănase also invalidated the 1989 language law. These actions amounted to legal fraud.
The ruling party avoided a referendum, knowing the public would reject the change. To this day, most Moldovans identify their native language as Moldovan.
Fraud 2: The Referendum Fiasco
A referendum held alongside presidential elections, in violation of Moldovan electoral law and international recommendations, yielded a debatable result. A majority within Moldova voted "against," while heavy manipulation of diaspora votes created a slim 0.7% margin in favor.
The regime lacked moral or political legitimacy to amend the Constitution based on such dubious results. The Constitutional Court ignored 44,000 invalid ballots, which, if accounted for, would have nullified the referendum entirely.
These glaring irregularities underline the fraudulent nature of the referendum.
Fraud 3: Constitutional Erosion
The rushed and unilateral changes undermine the Constitution's sanctity, disregarding the will of the people and established legal frameworks.
Moldova's leadership stands accused of exploiting democratic mechanisms for undemocratic ends. Such actions not only tarnish governance but deepen societal divides, threatening the nation’s constitutional integrity.
(To be continued...)
