Tiraspol, 17 March. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. A meeting of the first people's deputies of the PMR took place in Tiraspol. It was presided by the first speaker of the Supreme and the first president of the PMR, Igor Smirnov. Members of the 1st Supreme Council (1990−1995), who stood at the origins of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, met at the session hall of the Supreme Council. Among them was the country's oldest ex-MP, 88-year-old Veniamin Potashev.
Parliamentary vets discussed the need to hold regular congresses of people's deputies at all levels and determine their legal position. Another talking point, which has recently gained much public resonance, was interaction between branches of power.
According to the first people's deputies, today the lawmaking process, which is designed to regulate public relations, is too slow to address the existing challenges.
This is due, according to ex-MPs, to inefficient cooperation between power branches. They believe that «the struggle of the personal ambitions of public authorities prejudices the normal work of government institutions».
«We can see that both the Supreme Council and the government fail to properly fulfil their duties. These duties are stipulated in the constitution. What kind of example are public authorities giving to citizens?» asks the chairman of the meeting, Igor Smirnov.
The first Pridnestrovian people's deputies urged power branches to abide by constitutional provisions and be personally responsible for the process of considering and passing laws.
According to the 1st Supreme Council’s deputy, Vladimir Rylyakov, the normal work of power branches requires the political will of their leaders.
Another ex-deputy, Vladimir Labunsky, also called on institutional branches of power to consolidate: «Opposing each other is a costly affair these days. We must unite. The Supreme Council and the government must solve socio-economic problems together.
The president's plenipotentiary to the Supreme Council, Vladimir Bodnar, who was elected an MP five times, stressed that branches of power «must search for compromise solutions».
«We must not conflict with each other, but help and search for solutions to the problems the country is facing today. There's the law and regulations to abide by," said Bodnar.
The 1st Supreme Council’s member, Anna Volkova, believes that the problem of interaction between power branches accounts for specific legislative mechanisms.
«According to the constitution, the Supreme Council is a legislative body of power. It makes laws. If there are any contradictions in this procedure, it should be adjusted within the current legislation. These are usual procedural issues that must be solved," said Anna Volkova.
At the end of the meeting, ex-MPs recommended the Supreme Council to eliminate the legislative discrepancies that are slowing down the lawmaking process.
«We must not pull our statehood apart… Pay respect to the government, pay respect to the president and pay respect to the Supreme Council," concluded Igor Smirnov.
