Tiraspol, 20 April. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Today, the Supreme Council has considered a package of draft laws introducing the notion of «parliamentary investigation» in the current legislation. The document stipulates the foundations for launching investigation, its procedure, the rights and obligations of deputies taking part in the investigation.
The authors of the draft law refer to the experience of the Russian Federation, where this institute exists. However, its principal difference from that submitted by Pridnestrovian MPs is that the Russian president is exempt from parliamentary control. Besides, the deputies presenting the document have cited as an example the state which differs from the PMR in its government system.
This initiative raised many questions from those attending the plenary session. The main argument against adopting the bill was that it upsets the balance when exercising control functions.
«Making any decision requires the system of checks and balances. We are not arguing against this law, but against the current version of the law," said Olga Zvarych.
The minister of justice read out the text of an expert appraisal of the bill made by the teaching staff of the law department of Shevchenko Pridnestrovian State University, indicating that the approval of this law will mean «a silent transformation of the presidential republic into the parliamentary state».
The government's plenipotentiary to the Supreme Council, Alexander Kisnichan, speaking about the Russian experience, pointed out that there are no representatives of big business in Russia's State Duma. To which the vice speaker, Galina Antyfeyeva, gave a sudden response: «There are top managers of gigantic holding companies among State Duma deputies…»
Oleg Khorzhan pointed out at an evident ignorance of the Russian legislation on the part of the deputy chair of the parliament. He proposed Galina Antyufeyeva to dismiss State Duma MPs for violating the constitution of their country which allows them to combine lawmaking with only teaching, scientific and artistic activities.
Besides, this initiative received a negative opinion from the president.
«Such strengthening of the legislative branch of power through additional control functions, as provided by this draft law, will not only affect the system of separation of powers, based on checks and balances, and, therefore, the unbalancing of control functions performed by public authorities, but also will mean the change of government system, namely the abolishment of the presidential republic, stipulated in Article 55 of the PMR's Constitution, and the proclamation the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic parliamentary republic, which is inadmissible," believes the president.
The package of laws has been approved on first reading by a majority vote.
