Moldova Government

What is the capital of Moldova?

Country Name Moldova
Full Country Name Republic of Moldova
Local - Long Republica Moldova
Local - Short Moldova
Former Name Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic
Etymology- history of name named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania
Government Type parliamentary republic
Capital Name Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)
Capital - geographic coordinate 47 00 N, 28 51 E
Capital Time Difference UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight Savings Time +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Independence 27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National Holiday Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994

amendments: proposed by voter petition (at least 200,000 eligible voters), by one-third of Parliament members, or by the government; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament within one year of initial proposal; revisions to constitutional articles on sovereignty, independence, and neutrality require majority vote by referendum; articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2010; note – in early 2016, a Moldovan Constitutional Court decision allowed for direct presidential elections, reversing a constitutional amendment allowing Parliament to select the president

Moldova Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Moldova Government and Politics

Who is the president of Moldova?

Executive Branch: chief of state: President Igor DODON (since 23 December 2016); note – in 2017-19, DODON was temporarily suspended several times by the Moldovan Constitutional Court for rejecting ministerial appointments and for refusing to sign legislation

head of government: Prime Minister Ion CHICU (since 14 November 2019)

cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliament

elections/appointments: president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 November 2016 (next to be held in fall 2020); prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence for his/her proposed work program from the Parliament

election results: Igor DODON elected president; percent of vote - Igor DODON (PSRM) 52.2%, Maia SANDU (PAS) 47.8%; Ion CHICU designated prime minister; Parliament vote - 62 of 101
Citizenship Criteria: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Moldova

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Legal System: civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch: description: unicameral Parliament (101 seats; 51 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 50 members directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote; all members serve 4-year terms

elections: last held on 24 February 2019 (next scheduled for February 2023)

election results: percent of vote by party - PSRM 31.2%, ACUM (PPDA + PAS) 26.8%, PDM 23.6%, PS 8.3%, other 10.1%; seats by party - PSRM 35, ACUM (PPDA + PAS) 26, PDM 30, PS 7, independent 3; composition - men 78, women 23, percent of women 22.8%
Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of a chief judge, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges); note - the Constitutional Court is autonomous to the other branches of government; the Court interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by Parliament upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; all judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the Moldovan president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy; court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term; other judges appointed for 6-year terms
Regions or States: 32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)

raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni

municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau

autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia

territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)
Political Parties and Leaders: represented in Parliament:

Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]

Democratic Party of Moldova or PDM [Marian LUPU]

Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova or PLDM [Valeriu STRELET, acting]

Liberal Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU]

Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PSRM [Zinaida GRECEANII, acting]

not represented in Parliament:

Action and Solidarity Party or PAS [Maia SANDU]

Anti-Mafia Movement or MPA [Sergiu MOCANU]

Centrist Union of Moldova or UCM [Mihai PETRACHE]

Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]

Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA]

Democracy at Home Party or PPDA [Vasile COSTIUC]

Democratic Action Party or PAD [Mihai GODEA]

Dignity and Truth Platform or PDA [Andrei NASTASE]

Ecologist Green Party or PVE [Anatolie PROHNITCHI]

European People’s Party of Moldova or EPPM [Iurie LEANCA]

Popular Democratic Party of Moldova or PPDM [Valeriu PASAT]

Labor Party or PM [Marcel DARIE]

Liberal Reformers Party or PLR [Ion HADARCA]

“Motherland” Party or PP [Emilian CIOBU]

National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]

Our Home Moldova or PCNM [Grigore PETRENCO]

Our Party or PN [Renato USATII]

People’s Party of Moldova or PPRM [Alexandru OLEINIC]

Progressive Society Party or PSP [Oleg MATVEI]

Regions Party of Moldova or PRM [Alexandr KALININ]

“Right” Party or PD [Ana GUTU]

Russian-Slavean Party of Moldova or PRSM [Oleg TOPOLNITKI]

Shor Party or PS [Ilan SHOR]

Social Democratic Party or PSD [Victor SELIN]

Social-Political Movement “New Force” or MFN [Valeriu PLESCA]

Socialist People’s Party of Moldova or PPSM [Victor STEPANIUC]

United Moldova Party or PMUEM [Vladimir TURCAN]
International Law Organization Participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International Organization Participation: BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic Representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Veaceslav PITUSCAN (since 26 August 2015)

chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130

FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Diplomatic Representation from US: chief of mission: Ambassador James D. PETTIT (since 29 January 2015)

embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300

FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044
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